Legacy
by kiltsaresexy
Summary: ::Continuation of Lilyana And Reaver's story:: The child of two heroes becomes the target of The Cult of the Dark Sanctum, and her parents must fight to keep her safe, while, at the same time, struggle with all of the changes in their lives. Rated M, as always, just to be safe.
1. Prologue

**A/N: So here we are, my lovely readers. Story number four, and I have you to thank for it. I hope you enjoy this as much as you enjoyed the last. Read and Review, as always, to let me know what you're thinking! Thank you for reading!**

**Prologue**

Reaver inhaled the salty stench of Bloodstone. It had been probably a decade since he'd been to his old port of choice, but not much had changed. It was still filled with pirates, whores, and more taverns than really necessary, and it still smelled terrible. His servants followed him off of the boat, scrambling to carry his things toward the hill that his old mansion rested on.

He took a swig from his flask, and he glanced to the nearest of his companions. "I think I will enjoy a drink in the nearest tavern. Be sure to have everything prepared for me when I arrive."

The man merely nodded in reply.

Reaver tucked his flask back into his vest, and he ran his fingers through his hair. He'd tried to dress as informal as his wardrobe would allow, but every edge to his clothing still had a crispness, despite the fact that he'd been at the helm all day. The sun had touched his skin, and left it a soft bronze that made his blue eyes even more striking.

He spotted the tavern, and he grinned. The Reaver's Roost, it was called. It was a place that he had frequented quite often in his pirating days, though it had gone by a different name He was surprised that its doors were still open, but he took it as a sign of good fortune.

The place was crowded and the occupants, rowdy. He moved toward the bar, ordering himself a drink, and his keen eyes scanned the area. No one of import crossed his gaze, at first, but when he checked the corners of the bar, he saw a promising young woman, dressed all in black. Her table was filled with empty glasses, and it was obvious that the barmaids avoided her for a reason.

The woman's face was beautiful, but her big, brown eyes were reddened and puffy from tears that had been shed. She stared, with much melancholy set on her face, into the tiny remnant of amber liquid in her tumbler, and she exhaled softly.

Reaver hadn't expected to strike gold so soon on his journey, but he wouldn't waste time. He swallowed the entire contents of his drink, and he ordered two more. He grabbed both glasses, and he moved toward the corner where the mournful ginger-haired woman sat.

Her eyes moved up to him, and he was almost taken aback at how close they were to Lilyana's. She brought a hand up to wipe at her splotchy, tear-soaked face, and she raised her eyebrows, as if asking him why he approached.

He offered her a soft smile, and he said, "I noticed that you had run out of beverage, and I thought to myself: what kind of man would I be to let such a lovely creature go without?" He set the drink down before her, and she accepted it, though she turned her eyes away from him.

"If it's sex you're looking for, sir, you'll not find it here," She said. "Though, I thank you for the drink."

He held up his hand, showing off the wedding band that he hadn't yet thought to remove. He noticed that she, also, wore one. "I am merely curious as to why you sit here alone." He slid, uninvited, into the chair directly across from her.

She sipped at the drink that he provided, and she closed her eyes. "You're the first person that's ever asked me that question." She started to get choked up a little.

He took the handkerchief from his pocket, and he passed it across the table toward her.

She blotted at her leaking eyes, and she nodded in thanks. She said nothing, though. She decided that she needed another sip of rum.

"I am Reaver," he introduced himself, offering his hand over the table.

Her red eyebrows peaked with interest, and she looked him up and down. "I've heard about you."

"Many have, dear," he said, smirking. "And what, might I ask, is your name?"

"Penelope," She said. "My friends call me Penny, though. Well, when I had friends, that is."

"Well, Penny," Reaver said. "I could not help but notice that you are wearing all black, and from the look on your face, I doubt it is a fashion statement."

"You know a lot about fashion, do you?" She asked.

"A bit, though I daresay you are avoiding my question."

She sighed, her eyebrows knitting with thought. "I'm not from Bloodstone, actually," She said. "I lived in Willow's End, just north of here. It was quite a nice villiage." She nodded, but her shoulder slumped. "A fever broke out a few weeks ago. It was nasty, and not many survived. I did, but..." Her tears reawakened. "My husband...and my little girl...they didn't."

Sympathy washed, unexpectedly, over him, and his face became more solemn.

"I didn't get sick at all, you see," She continued. "Not a sore, or a sneeze, but my Thomas and my Lily, they had it bad."

Her daughter's name had been Lily. His grip around his glass tightened, and he felt the familiar anxiety slipping into his chest. He blinked, and nodded, bidding her to go on.

"They passed last week, and I couldn't stay there," She said, her voice dissolving into a soft sob. "Not in the home that we built together. Not when I had lost everything I loved in those rooms. Not when my husband died in my arms in the bed that we once shared..." She covered her face with his handkerchief. "Sometimes I wish..." She shook her head.

He had to clear his throat to force away the lump that was building.

"Come, dear," He said softly, putting his trembling hand over hers, trying to hold himself together. He hadn't expected to become so unhinged over this woman's tale of woe.

"Sometimes I wish that the fever had taken me too," She said, and she looked almost surprised that the words had come out. She covered her mouth. "I'm sorry to burden you with this sir. It's just that-"  
"I understand completely, Penny," He said softly, interrupting her. "I do."

"It's a sin against the gods to wish something like that," She said. "And I came to Bloodstone...almost wishing that someone would notice that I don't belong and..." She paused, exhaling. "Send me along back to my family."

He pressed his lips together, and he blinked.

"I shouldn't be telling you this," She said, taking her hand from beneath his. "Thank you very much for the drink, but I should be going." She rose from her seat, but Reaver stood directly after her.

"If it is death that you wish for," He said, taking her hand softly. "I happen to be the type of person that is not adverse to granting that wish."

Her eyes widened, and her pink lips parted. She truly was a beauty. Thomas had been a lucky man. "You must be teasing me, surely."

"I have once felt as you feel," He said, his mind shifting back to that bittersweet day—the day he had broken. "I offer a painless way back to your family, Penny."

"And what do you ask in return?" She questioned. "I don't have gold, nor anything of value to offer."

"My dear, beautiful thing, you have much to offer," He said, cupping her face.

She hesitated.

"I thought I made myself clear that I was not interested in your body," He said, picking up on her feelings. "I merely wish to harness the beauty you were blessed with."

"What do you mean?" Penny asked.

"All will be explained in time," He said. "This is not the appropriate setting for such a conversation." He glanced around. "I take it that you are staying in one of the rooms here?"

She nodded.

"That simply will not do," He said. "I will send one of my men for you and your things. I have a place you may stay until the time is right."

"Why are you doing all of this, Mister Reaver?" She asked.

"If you had the chance to have more time with the ones you love, would you do anything?" He asked, raising a brow.

"Yes," She said, her eyes widening.

"That is why I do this."


	2. Suspicion

-Chapter One-

I couldn't contain myself any longer. I had been holding this information in for the past few months, and I felt like I was absolutely going to explode. It had been eating away at me, and I knew that I had to get it out. I may feel better once I had relief.

Angela, who was sitting across the room from me, picked up on my inner turmoil, and she raised her eyebrows. "What's the matter, sister?"

"Reaver and I haven't made love since before Amelia was born," I said all at once, my cheeks flaring red with blush, now.

Angela's dark eyebrows arched, and she chewed on her bottom lip. She cupped her almost fully-swollen belly, and she sighed. "Well, have you tried to...er...get his attention?"

"I basically threw myself at him every time Amelia slept," I told her, moving to start a pace across the room.

"You're pacing," Angela said, pushing herself to her feet. She still walked with such grace, even at nearly nine months pregnant, and she moved toward me. She looked worried. "Are you afraid of what he might be doing in Bloodstone? Is that why you are so anxious?"

I nodded. Reaver had been notorious for his lustful appetite. It was hard to believe that he would just suddenly stop for four months. My heart wrenched in my chest at the thought of him with someone else, though part of me told the other part that I should have expected this. How could I possibly fully satisfy a man who'd had every type of person the world had to offer.

"Well, perhaps his...er...drive has simply declined," Angela offered. "He has been around for a long time."

"It hasn't declined," I replied. "I have walked in on him...ah...taking care of himself a few times."

"You didn't offer to help?" She asked, cocking a brow.

"Well, of course!" I came back, sighing with frustration.

"Darling," Angela cooed, stroking my arm. "Go after him. You could simply...pop over for a bit, say hello, then return in time to feed Amelia in the morning. Who knows? Perhaps being away from home with no child around might...rekindle things."

I wasn't sure, but my stomach was unsettled. It had been a few days since Reaver had left the castle, and we had parted ways with harsh words. We had been fighting not only about the fact that he hadn't touched me in four months, but the fact that I wished to go along with him. To be there for the process of selecting offerings. I was sure it would be something I would need to become familiar with.

"Amelia will be cared for in your absence," she assured me. "Go dress in something sexy, and go after your husband." She grinned. "If you do not return walking bow-legged, then we can worry."

I smirked, and I nodded. "I will feed Amelia one last time, then I will get dressed.

"Good. Your brother and I will watch over her tonight. He needs the practice."

* * *

Reaver hadn't any luck that night in an old run-down place called The Crimson Cutlass. It was aptly named, for he had witnessed three separate people being run through in the short hours he'd been there. He'd found no appropriate offerings for The Shadow Court, thus far, and he was ready to move on to a different pub.

He rose from his seat, and he tossed a few gold on the table. He pushed his way through a crowd of burly, drunk men, a few of whom actually dared to call him some rude names, but he decided to ignore it. If he wanted to attract someone, he'd have to stay his hand.

He exited the place, and he pulled another cigarette from the silver box in his pocket. He lit it before stepping down into the streets of Bloodstone. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and his fingers wrapped around the long-neglected Dragonstomper beneath his coat. He whirled around, gun-drawn, and cigarette dangling precariously from his lips.

"It _is_ you," said a handsome man with bronze skin and blue eyes. His dark hair was tousled in a deliberate way, and he grinned.

Reaver merely cocked a brow at the man. "Have we met, boy?"

"Oh, Reaver," said the man. "We have done much more than that." His electric eyes slashed downward, then back up as a wicked grin settled on his lips.

"I don't recall," Reaver said honestly, with a shrug of his shoulders. He holstered his pistol once more.

"I don't expect you would," The man replied with a soft laugh. He took his lip between his teeth, and he said. "We were both rather sloshed, but you gave me possibly the best night of my life."

"That is a particular talent of mine," Reaver said, turning on the charm. This one had great potential.

"My name is Phillip," the man said, offering his hand.

Reaver took it, in both of his hands, and he smirked. "You already know my name, Phillip, but I must ask, what is it that you are seeking on such a night?"

"I heard that you were in Bloodstone, and I just had to see you with my own eyes," Phillip said, his mouth still set into an enamored smile. "You left quite an impression on me, and I had rather hoped that you would, once more."

Reaver hesitated for a moment, but he then turned on the predatory charm that he had been so notorious for. He knew what he did was wrong, but he ached to be granted release. He pulled the other man close, their bodies nearly touching.

Phillip gasped at his touch.

Reaver could only chuckle. "Hoped?"

"Desired," Phillip offered, wetting his lips with his tongue. "Dreamed."

Reaver's hand wrapped around the other man's arm, and Phillip gasped at his touch. "What would you be willing to do for such an encounter?"

"Anything," Phillip inhaled sharply as Reaver's face drew ever-so-close to his. His lips trembled, and his eyes glowed with anticipation. "No one has ever made me feel as you have, Reaver. No one has ever come close."

Reaver's whole body tingled with excitement, but a small slice of him ached with guilt. He would be betraying Lilyana to secure her life, but was it all that wrong? Wouldn't it all be worth it in the end?

Phillip dared to lean forward, closing the short distance between the two of them, and Reaver's body reacted violently. He grasped at the other man, squeezing and grasping at any part he could reach. He groaned aloud, his eyes closing.

When Phillip pulled away, a smile lit his lips. "I take it that you need this as much as I do."

"Come with me, Phillip," He murmured, his heart beating in his throat. "We have much to discuss."

* * *

I had never been to Bloodstone before, but Reaver had described it to me many times. It stunk a lot more than I had imagined, and I couldn't visualize Reaver making a home in such a filthy place. It seemed beneath him. I saw his house, perched on the highest hill, and I gathered myself, exhaling.

He would undoubtedly be upset with me for leaving Amelia in Bowerstone in the care of Logan and Angela, but the fact that he had left when we had parted on such bad terms troubled me. Something didn't feel right. Something in my gut told me that I would not be returning to Bowerstone fulfilled, as Angela had suggested

I pulled my hood to obscure my face even more. The people of Bloodstone didn't particularly follow the laws of the Monarchy, so if someone recognized me it could prove disastrous. I took the winding path up toward the grand so very Reaver-like abode. I kept my eyes to myself as I passed people on the streets, trying not to attract any attention.

I finally reached the front gate to his mansion and I saw a statue of him in the courtyard. It reminded me of the statue displayed before his estate in Milllfields, but this statue was very different. He was dressed as a swashbuckler, and he wore no hat nor goggles. His grin was captured perfectly, though.

I moved toward the door, and I found that it was unlocked and unattended. Perhaps he had chosen to send off the servants he'd taken for the journey. That caused me to feel even more unsettled. I closed the door quietly behind me, and I glanced around the place. It, like all of his other homes, was covered in paintings and pictures of himself, and I rolled my eyes slightly. I really had married the epitome of narcissism.

It was quiet in the house, and I tried to soothe my nervous stomach. Something was so very wrong, but I didn't know what. I moved toward the stairs, and I gripped the rail tightly. My chest tightened, and every step only brought more anxiety.

I tried to tell myself that Reaver wouldn't betray me, but part of me still didn't trust him when it came to relations with other people. I wasn't as naïve as I was before. I knew that Reaver had been with others, and that he would always have the desire to be with others, but I tried to instill in myself a trust in his self control. Though, after these four months, even my own self control was wavering.

I could see light spilling out from the crack in a door at the end of the hallway. I tried to assure myself that I was only being paranoid, that he was reading or enjoying a drink before retiring for the night.

My hand trembled as I reached to push the door open, and that was when I heard it. A sigh—a groan of pleasure. My heart wrenched. Another sigh, though from a different person rang through the room. I could feel the anger rising in me, but I had to be sure. I had to see it for myself. I drew in a deep breath, and I shoved the door. It swung open soundlessly. I felt sick to my stomach at the sight before me.

Reaver was nude, leaned against a desk in what I could only assume was his study. His eyes were closed, and his lips were pursed together. Another man, whose back and sides were lined with fresh, red welts knelt before him, taking all of him vigorously in and out of his mouth. Reaver's hand was curled tightly in the other man's dark brown locks. Both men were too enraptured to even notice me, that was until a soft gasp left me accidentally.

Reaver glanced backward, and his eyes widened with shock, but before he could react further, I backed up and slammed the door. I tore down the stairs, tears streaming down my face, unable to catch my breath. I stumbled slightly, and I heard the door upstairs burst open.

My hand went immediately to my chest, which was developing a pain of the worst kind.

"Lilyana!" He called out desperately. I could hear clumsy steps thundering down the hallway, while he undoubtedly tried to dress himself. "Lilyana, please! Let me explain!"

I cursed angrily as I threw open the front doors, not bothering to close them behind me. I threw myself down the nearest alley, trying to lose him in the narrow, curving back roads, and when I no longer heard him calling, I paused to catch my breath.

I slid down to the ground, covering my face and weeping as quietly as I possibly could. My heart ached. I realized fully that when I had married Reaver, I was marrying a man that had a vast wealth of experience with people of both sexes. I felt foolish and naïve to believe, even if only a little, that he would be faithful to me. He hadn't, after all, touched me sexually in a good while. Of course he would have found others to entertain his needs.

I wondered how many others there had been in the past months. Were there other women or just men? I tortured myself with the idea for a long while as I wept, unable to stop myself. I wondered if he'd ever thought what might happen to our marriage, our family, or if he were just being selfish.

My hands tightened into fists. He'd probably never felt this type of pain. The pain of of the betrayal of infidelity. I pushed myself to my feet, and I exhaled slowly. I looked down to the end of the alleyway, and I saw a busy, bustling tavern. It was the last one before the thickly-wooded area started east toward Wraithmarsh.

A dark thought crept through my mind, and I shook it off. I wouldn't be able to bring myself to do that, would I? I had taken vows, yet, so had Reaver. The more I tried to avert my mind from the idea, the more it appealed to me. He would never expect me to lash back out at him in such a way.

I drew a handkerchief from my pocket to wipe my eyes, and I surveyed myself in the empty window of a long-closed shop. I took off my cloak and coat, tossing it to the side, and I ran my hands down the red and gold bodice of one of my old adventuring dresses. The skirt was short, but the leather leggings I wore covered far too much to be considered remotely sexy. I shucked them off, discarding them with my coat.

I unbuttoned the top few buttons of my blouse, my breasts spilling into view. I pulled my hair from its braid and combed it into soft alluring waves that trailed all the way down my back. When I was satisfied with my appearance, I wiped my eyes once more, the puffiness already receding.

I started down the alley, and I glanced west to the docks. Many ships were pulled in. Ships that hung illegal flags. I knew that I would very likely find myself in the company of pirates, and that brought a slight smile to my face.

**A/N: Next chapter is on its way! Do not fret! Leave me some reviews to let me know what you think of this new...development.**


	3. Regrets

-Chapter Two-

As I entered the tavern, the eyes of all the men were turned immediately toward me, filled with desire and excitement at the prospect of my entrance. Perhaps, they must have thought, a lucky man might bed the beautiful woman that had entered. Perhaps their thoughts were right. I sauntered toward the barman, and I ordered myself a drink.

Men's purses jingled as they all fought to pay for my drink, but the winner was a tall—even taller than Reaver—man with blonde hair that brushed his shoulders and bronze, perfect skin. He had gray eyes that matched the sky on a foggy day. A smile spread across his thin, but attractive lips, and I saw that this was a pirate that had taken exceptional care of his teeth. He tossed a few gold pieces to the bar man, and he ordered more drinks in a language I was not quite familiar with.

I wrapped my fingers around the tumbler, and I downed the drink, gathering my courage. I would need it.

His gray eyes flashed with excitement, and his smile widened. He pushed another drink toward me, and I accepted it. He took a drink of his own, and we silently toasted each other, our eyes doing most of the conversing.

After a few more drinks and sultry stares with this massive blonde pirate, I felt a little less inhibited. It didn't take much for the stirrings of desire to awaken within me. I had certainly gone longer without sex, but Reaver had gotten me accustomed to it being a near-daily—if not more—phenomenon. I let my hand drift seductively across my collarbone, inviting the man to look down to my chest.

He followed my suggestion, and he drew closer, his body nearly touching mine. He reached out to push a strand of my dark hair away from my face, and he said something in that foreign language of his.

I could only offer him a grin and a soft shrug, trying to convey that I didn't understand. He merely nodded. The idea was somewhat exciting. Reaver was always so talkative. It would be strange and new to enjoy the company of a man that would have to figure out how to pleasure me through action alone.

I chewed on my lip, and I let my eyes drift deliberately toward the door. His blonde eyebrows raised, and he took my hand, laying a soft kiss on my knuckles, his stubble tickling my skin. He pulled me across the room, much to the disappointment to all of the other men in the tavern.

I nodded down the alleyway, as if to tell him that it would be the perfect place for the deed, and he obliged, tugging me to follow him. He pressed me against the side of the little pub, and I let my arms circle around his waist.

His mouth was on mine, his tongue pushing its way eagerly into my mouth. He tasted what I imagined a pirate right out of a romance novel would taste—whiskey, tobacco, citrus... I groaned softly, my body reacting violently to the way he kissed me, and the way his hands roamed my body. It had been so long since I'd been touched.

His hand roamed up my thigh, and he pulled one of my legs around his waist, grinding his groin against mine. I could feel the thick, evidence of his readiness, and his hips moved steadily against mine, teasing, but at the same time, readying me. He moved his mouth from mine to meet with my eyes once more, and he leaned in to whisper soft, foreign words into my ear as he nibbled on the lobe.

I moaned softly as his fingers traced the hot, sensitive flesh of my thigh, scooping beneath it to cup my rear, driving me even closer to him. His mouth moved further down my neck, his teeth scraping and nipping in a way that reminded me of Reaver, but I pushed him back to the edges of my mind.

I knew that if I were discovered, I was basically sentencing this man to death, but I couldn't, for the life of me, care. I had never felt this kind of darkness take over me before. I had never wanted so badly to hurt someone I cared about just because they had hurt me. What was coming over me?

His other hand trailed up my other thigh, and his hips pushed into mine once more, sending a soft sigh of pleasure from my lungs. He laughed softly, and my hand drifted down his front to reach for the laces to his pants. The man growled excitedly, pressing his mouth once more against my throat, and I heard footsteps approaching down the alleyway.

My eyes flew upward to see Reaver, dressed only in a shirt, trousers and shoes. His eyes found mine, and they were almost electrified with anger and shock. I narrowed my eyes at him, as if to emphasize that I was doing this because of him, because he had hurt me so . The man's hand slipped between my legs, running his fingers roughly across my sex through my moist underthings. The sensation caused a raw moan to tear from my throat.

The man, who was totally ignorant of my husband's presence, had moved his hands to work his way out of his pants, but he was torn away quickly by Reaver. His Dragonstomper was drawn and his finger already on the trigger. Without letting another moment pass, he dispatched the man on the ground, and his wildly angry eyes found me. He stepped toward me, his hand wrapping around my throat. I gasped, and I tried to escape him.

"Don't touch me!" I snarled, striking him squarely in his jaw

"Well, you seem to be letting everyone else do so," He spat, shoving me back against the wall, the back of his other hand colliding with my cheekbone.

"I was merely returning the favor," I said darkly, shoving him away and cupping my throbbing face.

"You haven't the slightest clue what that was back there," He growled, also rubbing his sore jaw.

"Don't I? Because it certainly did not look as if he were doing it against your will," I hissed. I slid away from him, and I bolted off in the direction of the woods. His eyes had been so full of anger and pain, and it had excited me, perhaps even fulfilled my need for revenge. What was wrong with me? I could hear him running behind me, and I pushed into the treeline. I dodged and avoided the trunks of trees as I ran, hoping maybe I would lose him, but he was close behind me, now.

I felt his hand loop around my arm, and he tugged me backward, causing my legs to give away beneath me. I hit the hard ground, and he was on top of me in an instant. The wind had been knocked out of me, and I gasped for air. My fist collided with his mouth, and he moved to pin my arms down with his incredible strength.

"Get off of me!" I exclaimed, writhing and squirming beneath him.

"Why?" He asked, spitting blood off to the side, his blue eyes burning with fury. "Why would you do that?!"

"I could ask the same," I said. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes, but I held them back. I tried to break free of him but with no success. I turned my face to keep from looking at him.

"I was procuring a particularly stubborn offering for the Shadow Court," he said through gritted teeth. "You were acting like a common whore, sleeping with the first boy that bought you a drink and gave you a smile."

My jaw tightened angrily, and my hand broke free to strike him again. His hand twitched to strike back once more, but he restrained himself.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "I should have just let you free, then. I should have let myself die. Then, you could fuck whoever you wanted without worrying about being caught." I kneed him roughly in the groin, hoping that he would roll off of me.

He stayed planted firmly on top of me, merely wincing with pain. His hand actually did strike me this time, and the pain, along with a small thrill rippled through me. My remark had struck him deeply, and I felt almost satisfied with it.

He gripped my jaw tightly, and his blue eyes were on fire with pure rage. "I died that day, and I do this to ensure that I do not have to ever endure it again."

"You haven't touched me in months," I said, still furious. "Yet you are in Bloodstone for not even a few days before you've shoved your cock into some boy's mouth. How long did you wait to relieve yourself? A few hours? A day, perhaps? Or was there someone waiting for your the moment you got off of your boat?" I gulped, still struggling to restrain my tears. "Is this what you must do to procure these offerings every year?"

He didn't hesitate to hit me again, and he put his face very close to mine as he spoke. "I do what I must."

"Then do not let me get in your way." I wriggled more, still trying to escape. I had forgotten to slide on my Will-harnessing gauntlets, or this fight would have been over a lot more quickly. "Go back and fuck that boy, and I can find someone else that might actually try to satisfy me."

"You are toeing a very thin line, Lilyana."

"And you've thrown yourself over it," I said. "I was only showing you the same kindness you've shown me."

"You want to act like a whore?" He whispered grimly. "Then perhaps I should treat you like one." He moved his hands to pull my legs around his hips.

Anger and excitement rose inside of me all at once. I could feel my mouth throbbing where he had busted my lip with the back of his hand, but other parts of my body were throbbing, aching with need. I tried to push him off of me, but I wasn't successful. He didn't move at all.

"No, Lilyana. You wanted to be fucked like a little trollop, didn't you? Isn't that what you wanted that pretty blonde giant to do to you?"

"I just wanted him to do what you couldn't. It is understandable for a man of your age to lose some of his vitality."

His hand worked at pushing his trousers down off of his hips while keeping me pinned. He ripped my sparse underclothes away, and he entered me without any type of warning. He slammed into me to the hilt, and his voice shook with ferocity as he said, "Does that feel like I am unable?"

I closed my eyes, and a loud, ragged moan escaped me. His hips slammed into mine once again, almost painfully, but pleasure coursed through me, and I cried out.

"You should know that I am extremely able. You did, after all, interrupt me." He released one of my hands to tangle his fingers in my hair, pulling it tightly.

I smacked him across the mouth, and his hips thrust harshly into me. I gasped, and my legs tightened around him. When he pulled my hair again, another desperate sound escaped me, and I felt my desire for completion raging within me.

"Is this what you wanted?" He asked, his voice breathy.

I gulped, another soft moan escaping me.

"I want you to say it, Lilyana," He said, his hips pausing, eyes burning with pure frenzied lust. "I want you to beg me to continue fucking you here in the dirt."

My body craved his. I couldn't let him stop, but I couldn't find the words. I whimpered softly.

"If you don't say it, I will stop and find my release elsewhere," He said. "Just as you had planned to do to me." He gripped my face, and he stroked my jaw with his thumb. "All you have to say are two little words...and a please would be very nice, as well." A fiery glint shone in his crystalline eyes.  
"I'm sorry," I whispered, my breathing unsteady.

"Those were not the words I was searching for, dear. Tell me what you want." His hand slid across my collarbone to wrap around my neck, not squeezing, but displaying his obvious advantage over me.

I chewed on my bottom lip. "Please..."

"That's a start..."

"Fuck me." I close my eyes, awash with shame. I needed him, and he knew it. But somewhere within me, I knew he needed this, too.

His mouth overtook mine, and his hips picked up their furious pace. His fingers moved down from my neck, across my body with a fierce touch that felt like it may bruise, and I slipped my arms around him, gripping at his back, hearing the faintest tearing of his shirt.

Thunder rumbled in the distance, and I felt raindrops falling through the trees down onto us. I moved to pull away from him, but he shoved me back down.

"No," he said huskily, his eyes narrowing. "This is what you want, and you shall have it."

The thrill of his dominance over me nearly took my breath away. I groaned, and I bucked my hips upward into his. I was nearing my completion rapidly, and my legs trembled around him. "Reaver..."

"Yes?" He asked, his breathing also growing more ragged. "You look as if you are about to burst, Lilyana. Do you enjoy this kind of degradation?"

I nodded, my eyes squeezing shut, and my nails tearing down his back. The rain was pouring now, but I ignored it. I could only feel him. Everything else was irrelevant.

"Look at you," He huffed against my ear. "The Hero-Queen—bruised and dirty and loving every moment of it."

His words unraveled me, and I cried out, my voice echoing through the trees. I could feel his pace increasing.

"How can you drive me so mad?" He asked. "Why have you made me want to hurt you so?" He quivered, and he groaned, "Ah, fuck..." He, too, had reached his end, and he emptied himself inside of me, his face burying into my chest. He trembled and moaned as his body slowed on top of me. His hand loosened around my neck, and he eventually pulled it away. He made a low sound of relief from between my breasts.

We lay against each other, the rain pounding us from above, and he drew away to look down to me. His eyes looked almost remorseful, and he rolled off of me, pulling his trousers back up. "This should not have happened," he sighed, raking a hand through his sopping hair.

I lay on the ground, catching my breath, and all of the pain that I'd felt earlier came flooding back. Tears ran down my face, and I rolled onto my side, turning away from him. I couldn't control the sobs that escaped me, and I felt his hand touch my shoulder softly.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked softly

"Yes," I breathed. I understood that he was asking if he'd hurt me during the violence of our confrontation, but the soreness and throbbing of my face and body was nothing compared to the ache in my heart. He had been intimate with someone else, and in turn, I had given myself over to a darkness that I'd never succumbed to before. I was disgusted with both of us.

I felt him draw his hand away.

I pushed myself to my feet, my legs trembling beneath me, and he rose quickly to assist me. I pushed weakly at him, and I moved to brace myself against a tree. "Why would you...How could you be with someone else when you couldn't..." I could barely speak through my sadness and anger.

"It meant nothing," He tried to assure me softly. "I tried to acquire others through other means, but the day is coming swiftly, and I was not prepared as I should have been. I am so very sorry. I was weak."

I said nothing, not satisfied with his apology. A simple 'sorry' couldn't possibly make up for what had transpired. He had broken vows, and caused me to break mine. I leaned my face against the bark of the tree. The cool rain was soothing against my sore, hot body.

"Lilyana, I did not do this to hurt you or because I no longer want you."

I shook my head. "Do you not find me attractive anymore?"

"Oh, love," he sighed. "You have no idea how far from the truth you are..."

I whipped around to glare at him. "Then why wouldn't you touch me? Look at me? Kiss me with passion?"

"When I touch you, all I can see..." He exhaled. "I can only see your cold, dead body in my arms." He covered his face. "I cannot chance that I will fill you with another child...and that you will not make it through the delivery of that child." He turned away. "And now, I have done just that. I have put you in danger. I must find answers from The Shadow Court before I can truly be free with you again. I cannot put you-put myself through that again."

My eyebrows furrowed. "I thought you wanted more children."

"Not at the expense of your life," He replied, lowering his hands and glancing back to me. "Do you not see that I cannot—will not—live without you?" He turned to face me fully. "If there were a way to ensure that you would never leave me like that again, I would pay any price."

The darkness in my heart shriveled, and my will was waning. I should have told him so long ago. This was all my fault.  
"I cannot have any more children," The words exploded out of me with a sob, causing me both pain and relief. I had held them in so long. I wanted more children desperately, but I knew that Theresa's prediction was accurate.

He looked confused. "How could you possibly know that?"

"Theresa," I told him, crossing my arms over my chest. "When I was pregnant, when you left me in the Sanctuary...I visited her, and she told me that after Amelia, I would be unable to bear any more children." More tears build within me. I had never said the words out loud. I was infertile, broken, no longer able to do what a woman should be able to do.  
He exhaled, his eyes falling to the ground. He gulped, and he took me into his arms. He knew that this revelation hurt me, but he looked so very relieved. "Darling, I am so sorry."

I buried my face into his wet shirt, and I was angered by the comfort that flooded through me. He had just wronged me in so many ways, but here I was, seeking comfort in his arms. I shook my head. I wanted to run away again, to hit him again, to scream at him, but I couldn't. I was frozen against him, but he filled me with such warmth.

"You are sure?" He asked,

I nodded. "She has never...she would never lie about something like that."

He pressed a kiss into my wet, muddy hair, and he heaved a sigh. "You have already given me the most precious gift. I could never want more than that."

I shuddered. "It is one thing to choose not to have more, and it is quite another to have that choice ripped away from you."

He stroked my cheek. "Come, darling. Let me take you somewhere warmer. I do not care if you are still angry with me. I cannot let you stand in this rain any longer."

He slipped an arm around me, leading me away from the scene of our hateful ravishing, and I moved along with him, unable to fight. My limbs felt as if they were made of stone, the sorrow having spread through me completely. I crossed my arms over my chest, and I started to shiver, but it was to be expected. The rain was still falling heavily, but we had neither coat nor umbrella to shield us from the cold water.

We walked in near complete silence as we headed back to his manor. The only sounds were my soft, shaky breaths. I still hadn't been able to completely shake the tears. I couldn't bring myself to look at him, so I looked at everything else, anything that would hold my attention, if only for a few moments.

His hand was so soft against my back as he led me through the gate. I chanced a look at him. His eyes found my face, and his mouth pressed into a hard line before he looked deliberately away. He opened the front door, pushing it inward. We stepped into the warmth of the mansion, and a violent shiver tore through my body.

One of the servants approached us, and he looked totally puzzled at the state of us.

"Shall I draw a bath, Master Reaver?" the boy asked, his eyes, once again trailing over both of us.

Reaver merely nodded.

Now, in the light, I could see the damage I had done to my husband. He was healing, so I imagined that he had looked much worse back in the woods. His lip was split in the corner, and his jaw was swollen and reddish-purple His shirt was torn and filthy with mud and blood smeared at different parts of his back.

I chanced a look at myself in a nearby mirror, and I wasn't really surprised. The throbbing in my face had meant it was swollen, and it truly was. I had a healing cut across my cheekbone, surrounded by a bruise. I brought a hand to my mouth, which had seemingly been rubbed raw by the ferocity of his kisses.

Reaver noticed me looking in the mirror, and he crossed his arms over his chest, turning away. "I should have controlled myself...With you...with that boy."

I blinked, watching the swelling in my face slowly reduce.

"I know that an apology will never make this go away, but I need you to know how very sorry I am," He said, putting a hand on my shoulder.

I tensed slightly, but I said nothing, holding myself back from exploding once more.

"Please, love," he breathed. "Say something."

I closed my eyes, a few more warm tears drifting down my cold cheeks. I tightened my lips, and I shook my head.

He stroked my shoulder gently. "Speak to me, darling."

I gulped down the lump in my throat, and I exhaled. "I can't." The words almost pained me as they came out. "It hurts me to think about what you did...what I almost did. I have never felt this before, and it hurts."

He slipped his arms around me, pressing his chest against my back. "This is my fault for not being honest with you. I brought this on both of us, and I am sorry."

I looked at the pair of us in the mirror. His eyes were fixed on me, remorseful and saddened. His arms tightened around my waist, and he pressed his face against mine.

"Perhaps if I had voiced my concerns earlier, you may have felt comfortable sharing what you had learned, and neither of us would have resorted to such terrible things," He sighed. "I am not perfect, Lilyana, but I cannot live without you. I do not think I would survive if you left me again."

I crossed my arms over my chest, and I saw that his eyes had found mine in the mirror. He turned me gently, forcing me to look at him.

"Before you came into my life, I merely existed. I was a shell of a man, trying to fill myself with meaningless sex, alcohol, and gold, but none of it made me feel the way you do. You do not just make me feel alive, you breathed your life into me, and I have never been the same. You are my light, my soul, and the only thing that holds my heart together." He cupped my mending face, and he exhaled. "I love you, and nothing will change that."

I squeezed my eyes shut, the emotion spilling over again. My legs threatened to give away beneath me, but he caught me, pulling me against him.

"I know you will not be able to forgive me so quickly," He said. "I know that this will take time to heal, but I wish you would tell me what you are thinking."

"Damn you," I wept, pressing my face tightly into his chest. I felt so complete in his arms. It was unfair. "I forgive you, you bastard. Just hold me."

He sighed, and he pressed his lips against my face.

"Do you forgive me?" I asked, looking up to him. "What I did was spiteful and vindictive and terrible. I'm sorry."

"I have already forgiven it, my love."

**A/N: Well, that got a mite intense, didn't it? I hope you liked it. I wanted to take them somewhere they hadn't quite been before...and I think I succeeded. Let me know what you thought: love or hate. **


	4. Amends

-Chapter Three-

The tub was a massive tiled thing, built into the ground. It was large enough to perhaps fit four or five people comfortably, but tonight, it was just for us. I pulled at the laces of the under-bust corset that I wore, but Reaver was behind me almost immediately, removing it slowly from my body. His hands were so gentle on me, such a contrast to his harsh, needy touching earlier.

He pulled my shirt off of me, and he ran his hand across the goosebumps that had raised all over my back. He exhaled, and he moved a hand upward to cup, but not squeeze, one of my breasts. He brushed his lips against my ear, and he breathed, "It was so hard not to touch you every moment. I thought that maybe if I contained myself until I found answers..." He exhaled. "But it does not matter anymore." His hand drifted back down my torso to the lacing of my skirt, which he untied quickly, freeing me of my clothing completely.

I was left only in my boots and stockings, but I kicked my boots off, and he knelt behind me to roll the stockings down my legs, his hot lips kissing the cool, smooth flesh he uncovered. I lifted each foot, allowing him to pull each of the sodden stockings off. His fingers glided across the backs of my calves, and I felt him shift behind me, raising back to stand straight.

I turned to face him. His face was nearly healed, the swelling having gone down completely, and his lips were turned upward into a soft, appreciative smile as his eyes drifted across my body. I stepped forward, starting to unbutton his shirt slowly, our eyes meeting. His gaze still managed to take my breath away. I pulled his shirt open, and it slid effortlessly off of his shoulders and landed on the floor.

I stepped around him, looking down his back at the damage I had done there. The scratches were thin, healing scars, by now. I could only imagine how they must have hurt when I had slit him open with my fingernails. I ran my fingers across his flesh, and I heard him inhale and hold a breath. I pressed my body against his, sliding my arms around him. I fumbled with his trousers before freeing him and slipping them down off of his hips.

When we both slipped into the water, it seemed to wash away all of the tension I had been carrying in my muscles. He pulled me to rest between his thighs, and I rested my back against his chest. He went to work wetting my hair and combing it out with his fingers, most likely discarding any sticks or leaves that had been caught in it.

I merely closed my eyes, my body utterly relaxed, but my mind was still racing. I did not want to ruin this moment of serenity, but I needed answers. "How many others were there?" The question was soft, nonthreatening, but full of sadness.

"There were no others," He said quietly. "I attempted to steer clear of temptation, and I succeeded...until tonight."

It was a relief to hear that the man had been the only one. I didn't believe Reaver would lie about how many there had been because whether it had been only one or as many as a hundred, it was still a betrayal, but I found myself unable to continue to hold up my anger. He had been scared, and I knew very well that people acted poorly when they feared something. I had been so scared and overwhelmed by everything when I had first slept with Reaver, but that situation was so very different. Good had come of it, and in some twisted way, good may come out of this. The situation had forced both of us to come clean and be open with one another.

I found his free hand beneath the water, and I laced his fingers with mine. I felt his lips touch to my shoulder, and I closed my eyes. "I set out with the intention to hurt you, tonight," I said.

"Yes," He said, nodding against me. "You were most successful. For a moment, my whole world shattered, but I cannot hold you at fault. As I said before, it was my own negligence that brought this situation to a head." He untangled his fingers from my hair, and he reached away momentarily for something out of the tub.

I sighed softly as he ran a moist sponge across my shoulders. Guilt coursed through me, and I whispered. "I'm sorry for hurting you."  
"We are both sorry," He confirmed. "Now, we can work toward moving on, yes?"

"Yes." I reveled in the feel of the sponge cleaning the filth of the night away from me. I already felt refreshed and revitalized. As the sponge washed my neck and breasts, his other hand broke away from mine to skate up my inner thigh.

My gasp of pleasure as his fingers met with my already awakened sex elicited a soft sigh from Reaver, and he kissed the side of my freshly scrubbed neck. "We have a lot of lost time to make up for, my darling." He stroked me gently beneath the water, merely teasing me.

I closed my eyes, and I tilted my head as he continued to kiss and nip at my neck. He used the sponge to caress my collarbone tenderly. His hands worked delicately at coaxing my body into a feverish need. He was so very good at that.

I took the sponge from his hand, and I drew away from him, standing up. I finished washing myself quickly, and he watched me with steady, curious eyes.

I beckoned him forth with a finger, and he rose quickly. I swept the sponge speedily across him, paying particular attention to avoid his rigid arousal. Was this a good idea? I couldn't be sure how I would feel once we were entangled in each other. Would I regret it? I moved the sponge to cleanse his manhood. He grabbed my hand, and he stepped toward me, the water sloshing around us. His eyes burned down to mine, and he said, "I think we are quite clean enough."

His eyes were mesmerizing, and I, for a moment, found myself wondering if he would be choosing another person with blue eyes as an offering. I pushed the dark thought from my mind, and I allowed him to take the sponge from me. He leaned down, his mouth touching to mine with a tamed passion, as if he were testing me.

I slipped my arms around him, the kiss erasing any doubts I might have had before. I parted my lips, but he ended the kiss, instead glancing back to the towels and robes that had been set aside for us.

"As much as I love having a good time while bathing, I think I would much prefer to have you in a bed," He said, tracing my lips with his fingertips. "Water tends to go cold after so much time, and once I have you, I most likely, will not be able to stop."

* * *

Reaver had insisted on carrying me all the way to his bedchamber, insisting that he did so to ensure that I would not change my mind and run away. I could only offer him a grin as we crossed the threshold. The room was decorated in black, red, and silver, and a few of the things laying around reminded me vaguely of the extra room that had was attached to Reaver's bedroom in Millfields.

He noticed me eyeing the décor and everything else, but he said nothing. He deposited me against the fine silk of the coverlet on top of the extremely large bed. It, like his tub, looked as if it had been made to hold a great number of people. I reminded myself that this was a room he'd decorated nearly a lifetime ago, but before I could think too much more on the issue, he was opening his robe and distracting me with his perfect body.

I untied the sash to my own robe, and his eyes were equally lost in taking in my body. I tossed the robe to the far side of the bed, and I let my hands skim down my body, giving him a bit of a show.

He lay beside me on the bed, on his side, his fingers tracing the path of mine, but they diverted down between my legs once more. He took my mouth as he slid a finger inside of me, and the sensation sent a shiver through my body. "Are you cold, my pet?" He pecked my lips softly. "I think I know how to warm you." He withdrew his finger, and he parted my thighs, positioning himself between them.

As he entered me, my breath left me. I cradled his face in my hands, and I drew his mouth against mine again. I had forgotten how tender he could be when he wanted to be. The sensation nearly brought tears to my eyes, but I held back, knowing that he might misinterpret it. I felt flooded by so many emotions: relief, joy, awe, but the tiniest bit of heartache lingered. I did my best to tuck it away, for I wanted nothing more than to enjoy making love to my husband, but it was proving difficult to keep those thoughts out of my mind.

A sound of delight resonated through him as I moved my hips upward as he withdrew, showing him how close I needed him. He lowered himself further down onto me, our chests pressing against one another, and our hips grinding, creating more delicious friction. It had been so long since our bodies were able to meld so perfectly against each other. I missed the feeling of being completely covered by his warm, soft flesh. He moved his mouth away from mine to pepper my neck with soft, delicate kisses that he knew would drive me mad.

I slipped a hand up his back, feeling the unblemished velvet smoothness of his skin, and I tangled my fingers in his messy ebony hair. "I love you," I said softly, looking to catch his eyes.

"And I love you," He replied taking my other hand in his and squeezing it. "More than you could ever fathom."

I felt my tears slip by, despite my efforts to keep them concealed. I moved a hand to wipe them away, but Reaver had beaten me to it. He swept them away easily, and he buried his face in the crook of my neck.

"I so wish there were a way to erase what has happened," He sighed against my skin. "I cannot bear to know that I have caused this sadness."

"I'm not crying because I'm sad, you silly man," I whispered, sniffling a little.

He pulled back to look at my face, and his eyebrows raised, and his hips stilled their gentle pace.

"I am crying because I have missed you," I told him, running my thumb across his soft lips. "I have missed this. You were gone before you left for Bloodstone. I have missed you every day since Amelia was born."

"Oh, Lily," He sighed. "I was so afraid. I felt as if I had lost you and myself all at once."

I pulled his mouth against mine, and, in a fluid motion, I turned him onto his back. I squeezed my thighs around his hips, and I ground against him, pulling a moan of excitement from his throat. I straightened myself, pulling away from his body, and I saw his eyes take me in once more.

He pushed himself into a sitting position, using one hand to support himself, while he slipped his free arm around me. "Do not think you are going to escape me that easily." He took my mouth with his.

My hips worked against his, the closeness bringing a tight friction that drove my body closer and closer to the edge. I pulled him tightly to me, my arms locking around his neck. My climax rippled through me, and I pulled from his mouth to gasp his name.

His fingers dug gently into my flesh, and his body trembled. His hips bucked desperately beneath me as he, too, reached his completion. He made all sorts of utterly sexy noises as he filled me, and his body eventually slowed. He lowered back onto the pillows, pulling me down with him, and he clutched me tightly, as if he were convinced I would float away from him.

I smirked, and I brought my eyes to take in his face. "I thought that once you had me, you would not be able to stop."  
"I am not stopping, love," he informed me, still catching his breath. "Merely pausing for a few moments." He squeezed me, and he kissed my forehead. "I shall recover momentarily, so do not fret. The night will not end until you have had your fill."

* * *

I woke to an aching swell in my breasts, and I groaned. It was still dark out, but I would have to leave to feed Amelia soon. Though I was hesitant to leave. I sat up, and Reaver roused easily from sleep.

"You cannot stay?" he asked, raising his eyebrows curiously.

I shook my head. "I must go feed Amelia."

"I wish I could go with you," He sighed.

"You could, if only for a little while," I offered. "I can take both of us."

"I wouldn't want to deplete your strength so," said, taking my hand and bringing it against his mouth. "Though, if you wanted to return to me in Bloodstone, I promise I will be waiting so very patiently for you."

"How much longer until the...er...appointment?" I asked.

"Eight days," He said, rubbing his chin. "Though, I must leave Bloodstone soon, and I am one offering short."

My heart deflated. "And I take it that...that man is no longer interested in going along with you."

"I didn't hold up my end of the bargain," Reaver said simply, leaving it at that. "I think, in order to make good time, I will have to leave here in four days."

"Where is the other offering?" I asked him. "The one you already procured."

"I...do not wish for you to have any dealings with this right now, Lilyana," Reaver said. "Things are too delicate, and as much as I love and trust you, I must handle this carefully."

"I think that I deserve to be included on this," I said, moving to wrap my robe around myself. "I should be there with you, Reaver."

"Darling, it would break your heart to be there," he sighed. "I do not want you to go through that."

"I've come to terms with the stipulations of the deal," I told him. "I am strong enough to handle it, and if I am not, I need to be. This is something that you intend to go through with for a very long time, and I cannot let you go through it alone anymore."

He sat up, throwing the blankets off of himself. "Darling, I-"

"This discussion is over, Reaver," I said, putting a finger to his moving lips. "Find another offering, give them however much gold they desire, and expect me to return to escort you to Wraithmarsh."

His lips tightened, but his eyes drifted down to the floor. He nodded, knowing that I would not rest until I won this argument. He merely stepped forward, grasping my chin, and he said grimly, "You will not like what you see, I guarantee it, Lilyana."

"I do not like a lot of things I have seen lately," I replied, glancing about. There were no clothes for me, so I supposed I would have to focus on transporting straight to my bedroom.

"Please, let us not part on such bad words," He said standing and sliding his arms around me. "It did not work out well the last time we did so."

I closed my eyes. "I love you, Reaver."

He kissed my lips, and he pressed his forehead against mine. "And I love you, but I must warn you that when you return to me tonight, I will be very drunk. You know how insatiable I am when I am drunk.."

"When I return to you tonight?" I asked, raising a brow.

"Yes," he said. "You will return to me so that I may ravish you without abandon."

"You want me to teleport all the way back to Bloodstone for sex?" I laughed.

"Well, not _just_ for that," He said. "I thought that perhaps you might enjoy your husband's company for a night alone."

I smirked at him, and I nodded. "I will see what I can do."

"And do give our lovely Amelia a kiss for me," Reaver said.

"She misses you," I told him. "It is hard to get her to fall asleep without your lullaby."  
"You sing it far better than I," He told me honestly. "I'd never known your voice was so lovely until you sang for her."

"But she prefers it from you," I told him, rubbing the cleft in his chin. I smiled softly.

"Then, after our appointment is taken care of, I will sing it to her as many times as it pleases her," he said. "I cannot wait to see her beautiful face."

I smiled warmly to him, and I gave him a final kiss. "I suppose I will return tonight, after Amelia's gone to sleep."

"And I will be thoroughly prepared for you," He said, his voice dropping into a sultry tone. He stroked my cheek, and he released me. "Now, go. Before I throw you back into the bed and have my way with you once more."

* * *

Amelia was uncharacteristically cranky when I returned, and during one of her feedings, I found the reason. A little tooth had started to erupt through the gums on her lower jaw. I cooed and comforted her, then I eventually resorted to rubbing whiskey on her gums. She was docile and content after that.

I cradled her gently in my arms as I sat next to my very pregnant sister-in-law. She was due any day now, but she seemed perfectly happy being pregnant. I wished I could have enjoyed my pregnancy like that, but when I was at that stage, I was crawling the walls, tearing my hair out, ready to be done with it.

Angela grilled me for the details of my trip to Bloodstone, but I didn't divulge everything. I felt it wasn't necessary to tell her about mine and Reaver's separate infidelities. It was far too complicated. I merely told her that we had made up our differences, a few times. I even went as far to tell her about the mud, and that seemed to thrill her to no end.

"It's been a while since your brother and I have..." She trailed off. "But you don't want to hear about that, do you?" She chuckled, her green eyes lighting up with humor.

"Ah...If I could pretend that it _wasn't_ about my brother perhaps," I chuckled.

"It's quite alright," She said, rubbing her belly. "He's been treating me as if I were glass lately."

"I know the feeling," I confirmed with a soft nod.

"Not from what you described to me," Angela said, nudging me a little. "Reaver has always been a bit of a naughty boy, but I'd never imagine that he'd go at it in the mud. He's so...concerned with appearances."

"Shallow," I offered.  
"Yes."

We both laughed, and Amelia stirred in her sleep. I rocked her gently, and she remained in a dreamy state.

"You make it look so easy," Angela sighed, in awe. "I hope that mine is that quiet."

I chuckled. "I wish that my pregnancy had been as easy as yours."

"Well, there's always hope for the next one, right?" She asked, laughing a little.

I merely nodded silently, still not ready to offer up my infertility as conversation to just anyone. It had taken me long enough to tell Reaver. I still needed more time to cope with it. "Do you want more children?"

"Oh, yes," Angela said with a nod. "I came from a family of eight."

"Eight?" I asked, my eyes wide.

"Oh, yes. I had five brothers," She laughed. "But I am lucky to finally have a sister."

I nodded with a wide smile. I had always wanted a sister, myself.

"Here," Angela said, holding her arms out. "Go back to Reaver. I will be able to handle her for the rest of the night."

"Are you sure?"

Angela said, "I'll sleep in your room tonight with Amelia, and you can go and have your fun. Just give me all the details tomorrow, as you did today."

* * *

When I appeared in Reaver's room, it was empty. I heard him down the hallway, speaking with a servant about gathering the things for the journey that would be taking place in a few days. I undressed more quickly than I ever had before, being sure to deposit my clothes neatly in the corner, and I noticed one of his thin ties laid out, undoubtedly the one he'd worn that day. I grabbed it, loosening the knot and sliding it down over my head. I let the thing fall between my breasts, and I smirked. One final touch would be his top hat, which I discovered was only a little too large for me.

I sat down quietly on top of the blankets, and I crossed my legs, one over the other. I practiced my best smoldering look in the mirror across the room, and I felt I looked pretty convincing.

I heard his voice drawing closer to the bedroom door, and I tried to hold back my excited laughter. I glanced over myself in the mirror once more. My skin was alabaster and flawless, and my hair cascaded down my back in beautiful chestnut waves. I felt truly beautiful, and I knew that he wouldn't be able to resist.

"-And make sure that the damned carriage has enough room for everyone," Reaver demanded down the hallway. "My Queen has insisted that she come." The last part was almost begrudging. "Bring more brandy by my room. I will spend the rest of the night in there."

I saw the knob to the door turn, and I straightened my back, thrusting my breasts out to put them on display. I let a mischievous grin slide across my face, and the door pushed open.

Reaver was looking over his shoulder when he walked into the room, but when he turned, he saw me, and his blue eyes widened. I uncrossed my legs, and he closed the door quickly, for anyone walking by would be able to see The Queen of Albion, nude and spread out for her husband.

Once the door was closed, his lips curled into a smile. He called out without opening the door. "Nevermind the brandy, George! I found something to occupy me..."

He crossed the room in an instant, and he tugged me to my feet by his tie. He wrapped an arm around me, and he grinned. "You know, I really do enjoy when you decide to play dress-up, my dear. Or rather, dress-down." He looked me up and down once more, and he pressed his mouth against mine, removing his favorite hat and discarding it as if it were nothing.

I smirked, and I glanced him over once or twice. "_You_ are very over-dressed for this party, darling."

"I assure you that I can remedy that quickly." He pushed me back into the bed, and he shrugged off his coat. "Now, remove that tie. I do not want it to get ruined during our...activities."

**A/N: I have the most awesome, awesome, awesome collaborator working with me on this fic: angelacm. She is allowing me to pick her brain and listens to my stupid ideas. I am so thankful that I have all of you wonderful readers following my fics, and I appreciate every one of you! **


	5. A Journey's Start

-Chapter Four-

I sat in a tavern in Bloodstone. Reaver requested that I meet him there, so I obeyed. It was a large, much nicer pub than the one I had been in a few nights before. I sat at a table in the back, my eyes on the door, and I leaned back. I sipped at a glass of mulled-wine, which wasn't really to my taste, but I hadn't really been in the mood to drink, after all.

There were only a few more days until the appointment in Wraithmarsh, but we would be leaving from Bloodstone in the morning. I was very nervous. Reaver hadn't explicitly told me that he had yet to find another willing sacrifice, but his behavior suggested it. I could only imagine that the reason he'd wanted to meet me was that he was trying to find one at the very last minute.

I closed my eyes. I'd made arrangements for Ben, Logan, and Angela to keep Amelia during the days, and for a nurse to watch her at night. I didn't quite feel comfortable with being parted from her for so long, but I would be making brief appearances to feed her.

A group of tall, blonde men made their way into the tavern, and I was reminded of the man who I encountered a few nights before. My heart twisted as I remembered the darkness that had taken hold of me. I did not even bat an eye at Reaver's harsh disposal of the foreign man, and we just left him laying there in the alley. He had done nothing wrong. It was I who was the sinner in that situation. I used him, and Reaver killed him. I closed my eyes, trying to breathe, and I turned my attention to my wine, once more.

I heard footsteps approaching, and I opened my eyes once more. The blonde men had found my table, and my stomach dropped. I raised my eyebrows, trying to look as unaffected as I possibly could. I had a feeling that I knew what they would be saying, or rather, doing to me soon enough. If that man had been one of their crew, or from the looks of it, brother, I would be facing down five very angry large blonde men.

"Yes?" I asked, as they merely stared at me.

"You were with our brother Egil, a few nights ago," said the largest, a thick accent coating his deep voice. His hair trailed down his back, pulled into a thick plait, and his beard was braided in the same manner. He looked to be very handsome beneath all of the facial hair. "He is dead now. I think, maybe,_ you_ had something to do with this."

I slid my wine away, and I rose to my feet. "Gentlemen, I assure you, I did not kill your brother."

"You were the last person to see him alive," another of the men threw in.

The silent others merely nodded, probably not understanding the common tongue as well as their brothers.

"I cannot answer your questions.. I'm sorry," I said. "Perhaps he crossed the wrong man after our encounter. I cannot say."

"You," Said the first man, "are lying." He blocked my path to the door.

I fisted my hands. I was wearing my Will gauntlets, but I did not want to display such power indoors. I'd chosen the explosive combination of flame and electricity, and it was volatile at best. There was no way to be sure I wouldn't injure innocent bystanders if we brawled within the confines of the tavern.

"Join me outside, gentlemen," I said, glancing to the door. "I'm sure I can work something out to give you what you need." I looked up to the tallest through my thick lashes, and I stuck my chest out further. I realized that what I had just said sounded as if I were suggesting something of the most unsavory sort, but I needed to get them away from these other people. I drew my thick lower lip between my teeth, and I flashed a smile that I had perfected while watching my husband over the years.

The brothers that understood what I was saying looked almost excited at the prospect of having me, and the other men, after a few moments understood the gist of what was going on.

"You are unarmed?" asked the largest.

I nodded, holding my hands up, and twirling to show them that I carried no weapons. I didn't need to.

The largest two seized me by each arm, escorting me out of the tavern, and I glanced around once more. No one really seemed all that interested in my exit of the tavern.

As our group spilled onto the street, I glanced about once more. There were no people nearby, all were inside, avoiding the biting winds that swept in off of the coast, and I glanced up to the sign of the tavern. The Reaver's Roost. I hadn't noticed before. I snorted a little with laughter.

"Now," said the leader. "Tell us what you know of what happened to our brother."

"We got rather drunk before leaving the tavern," I explained. "So all of the events of that evening are a bit hazy. Would you mind...if I showed you?" I moistened my lips as I gave him a sultry look.

The man gulped, his gray eyes roaming all over my body. "You are a beauty, that is true, but I wish to know what happened to my brother."

"My mind is so tangled," I sighed, rubbing my temples. "I remember there being another man. A man with a gun. It happened so fast. The other man tore him off of me, and ..." I pressed my lips together. "He hit me, and he killed your brother. I'm sorry, but that is all I know."

"He still had all of his gold, weapons, everything valuable," The man said. "Why did the other man shoot him?"

I shook my head, shrugging lightly. I glanced around the man, and I saw the glowing orange ember of a cigarette from the shadows. I, again, shook my head, and I looked back up to the brute of a man.

"That is all I know," I admitted. "Now...if you'll excuse me." I moved to walk around him, but he blocked me once more.

"You will go nowhere," He said. "Not before giving a few grieving brothers some sympathy."

I saw the cigarette fly from the shadows, the smoker having discarded it, and I once again, shook my head gently. "And if I refuse?"

"You will not refuse," He chuckled, looming closer.

I merely offered him a smile, and I let my hand drift up his front. "Are you very sure that you will be able to take me against my will?"

"I do have four brothers," He added. "We have been known for taking what we want with our without consent."

I slid my hand beneath his shirt, and I grinned. "I will admit, I have taken on more men than this."

"Somehow I knew you were a devious thing when I saw you," He purred as I stroked his hair-covered chest.

I lay my palm flat against his skin, and I focused. As the Will flowed through the gauntlet, the man's body went rigid and then trembled violently with the shock. I released him, grabbing the blade from his hip before he could hit the ground, still shaking and twitching.

One of the men shouted something in their native tongue, and it didn't sound very nice. I readied myself against the four remaining men.

As they closed in, I heard a two quick gunshots, and two of the other men around me fell. One of the remaining two gripped me from behind around my waist. His brother struck me across the face, and I sent a wave of flame and sparks outward from my body. The men both yelped and the one holding tightly to me released me. I twirled, swinging his brother's blade blade at him with a powerful flourish. His body fell to pieces with a few sickening thumps on the cobbled road.

The last man looked utterly terrified as he tried to tend to some rather severe burns on his hands, and he ran off, but a bullet struck him in the back. He fell over, no longer breathing or moving.

The largest brother was gasping and finally recovering from my initial attack. I held the tip of the blade to his throat, and he smiled, his silver eyes shining with awe.

"You are a fierce woman that is worthy of respect," He looked down the length of the bloodied blade, and he glanced around, his handsome face almost full of pride. "You will give me a good death."

"Are you sure that it is an honorable death that you want?" Reaver asked, approaching from the shadows, glancing momentarily to give me a grin of extreme approval. I somehow knew that all of the action had gotten him riled up. "Because I am prepared to offer you a very wealthy death instead."

"Wealthy?" He asked with a chuckle. "What use do I have for gold? My brothers are all dead. Most of them died in battle. Except Hrafin—he was always a coward. But I can die with honor and that is all my people can hope for. " He glanced to his fallen brother, the one who had tried to run.

"But you are _not _dead," Reaver said. "Who needs a death in battle when you can die at home, in bed surrounded by riches? That sounds like any pirate's ideal death."

"Your offer interests me," He said. "The tradition is never something that I cared about. My name is Agni."

Reaver took the blade from me, and he flicked the blood off of it before tossing it back to Agni.

Agni rose to his feet, and he towared over the pair of us. "Tell me what I need to do for such treasures."

Reaver sighed, almost relieved, and he smirked. "Come with us, Agni. We will explain everything in detail."

* * *

Reaver helped me into the carriage, and I saw that Agni, and a young red-headed woman were already seated within. Agni looked scrunched up, but he still had a smile on his face. He was surprisingly cheerful for someone that was well aware that they were about to have all the youth and vitality sucked from them.

"Good Morning, beautiful warrior," He said, raising his blonde eyebrows.

The redheaded woman's brown eyes widened, and she gasped. "Your Majesty, I didn't realize that we were to be traveling with you...I...Uh..." She tried to bow from her seated position.

"You are a Queen?" Agni asked. "I did not know Albion's rulers were so...creamy-skinned and alluring. I would have come long ago."

Reaver climbed into the carriage behind me, and he gave Agni a look that suggested that he shut his big, bearded mouth. He slid to sit beside me, sprawling his hand possessively over one of my thighs, giving Agni another deliberate look.

"Lilyana," Reaver said. "This is Penelope."

"Hello, Penelope," I said, offering her a smile. I wasn't sure what the protocol was for greeting someone that was about to sacrifice a piece of themselves for extending one's own lifespan.

"Your Majesty," She said, nodding again.

The carriage took off down the path, and Reaver slipped an arm around me. He kissed the side of my face, and he sighed. "I wish that you would have been happy staying at home."

"And I wish that you would have been happy letting me come along," I said, giving him a smirk.

"You got your way, did you not, my love?"

"The women always get their way," Agni put in.

"Yes, that they do," Reaver said with a short nod.

* * *

Logan held his niece, and a smile tugged at his lips. He glanced up to Angela who was watching him with a smile of her own. She rubbed her rounded belly, and she reached to stroke Amelia's little cheek.

"You are getting a lot of good practice," Angela said, her eyes still fixed on her husband. She leaned in and kissed him gently on the cheek. "I can't wait for the day when our little bundle is to be born. It can't come soon enough."

A fleeting look of anxiety crossed Logan's face and he sighed.

Her eyebrows furrowed and she tilted her head to the side.

"You were there on the day Amelia was born. Lilyana almost died," Logan sighed as he rose to put Amelia in her cradle. "My mother died giving birth, along with the child she bore...The whole situation just sets my nerves ill at ease." He sat by his wife once more.

She exhaled softly, and she leaned her head against his shoulder. "I will have a physician and Kalin has offered her services to support me no matter what happens. I will be more than taken care of, love."

He nodded. "I trust you with whatever you choose to do, but I still fear what could happen." He pressed his lips together. "I am sorry to burden you with my worry."

"Your worry is no burden," She said, tilting his face toward hers. She kissed his lips softly, and stroked his cheek. "I love you, Logan, and I promised to support you through thick and thin."

"_I_ should be the one supporting_ you_, darling," He said, putting his hand over Angela's rounded womb. "I may be anxious, but you are the one who is doing something amazing. You have looked past my flaws, my misdeeds, and you have given me everything. I feel unworthy."

"You are more than worthy," She said, kissing his mouth once more.

* * *

Seth poured himself over the books spread across the desk, and he ran his hand through his jet black hair. The plot he had laid out would take many months of preparation, and all of it hinged on one particular artifact.

Arianna approached him from behind, her dark eyes wide and excited. She carried something wrapped in a dark velvet cloth, and she laid it before the pale, dark-haired man.

His shocking violet eyes sparked with interest, and he looked back at her as a wicked grin unfurled on his mouth. He unwrapped the thing from the velvet as delicately as he could, and his heart nearly stopped at the sight of it. It was precisely what he had needed. It was a long, jagged shard of some sort of ebony-colored stone. His eyes darted back to Arianna. "Will you be able to craft it from this?"

She nodded, her own smile bright and devious. "I could craft two from this single piece, if I so wished."

"Let us not get too hasty, Arianna. It must be perfect," he tutted. His slender white fingers wrapped around the shard. "Where did you find this?"

"Off the coast of Bloodstone," She informed him. "King Sparrow, along with Reaver and the other heroes had brought down many shards of The Spire there."

"Yes," Seth said with a nod. "I have read accounts of that battle. I think it is appropriate that we use one of those shards to gain access to the descendant of two of the heroes present, don't you?"

"You always seem to find the poetry in everything, don't you, my love?" She asked, draping her arms around him.

His eyes remained fixed on the black hunk of stone. He ran his fingers across it, and he could feel the dormant power come to life at his touch. An electric thrill ran through him. "You have done well."

"And I plan to continue to do well," She said.

"Yes, only the most talented alchemist in all of Albion will be able to achieve such a task. That is why you are my most vital resource," he said. "Have you prepared the necessary ingredients?"

"I have gathered nearly all that I require, though the process will take months," She informed him.

"What about the potions for the...other project I assigned to you," He said.

"You lay a great deal on my shoulders, Seth," She said. "The forging of The Shard will take a great deal of my time and energy."

"I would not trust this to anyone but you," He replied, pressing a kiss to the palm of her hand. "You are my most faithful follower."

She nodded. "And I will forever be faithful to you, Seth." She let her hand trail up the curve of his jaw. "You would never betray me."

He smirked, and he covered The Shard once more. He rose from his seat, and he slipped his arms around her. His bright eyes glanced over to her. "And you will never give me a need to, will you?"

She shook her head, and he crushed his mouth against hers.

**A/N: Thank you for all of the lovely reviews I've been receiving! I really do enjoy seeing them in my inbox!**


	6. A Dark Pilgrimage

-Chapter Five-

Wraithmarsh was one of the more frightening landscapes I'd ever seen. Though it was day, the skies were dark with somber gray clouds, and a low, heavy fog hung around the ground. I heard unnerving sounds made by creatures I'd only ever heard of in books. My skin crawled, and I crossed my arms over my chest.

Reaver's hand was at the small of my back, and he assured me quietly, "They will not interfere with our task. They would not dare threaten a tribute to The Shadow Court."

My eyes found his, but the uneasiness still spread through me. I sucked in a cleansing breath, and I tried to gather myself. I was a Hero, and I had faced many dangerous enemies. Why did this cause me such panic? I needed to get through this. I needed to prove to Reaver, and to myself that I would be able to handle this new aspect of my life. I glanced back to see that Agni was escorting Penelope through the marshy earth, but Penelope's face was a mixture of anxiety and sadness. Reaver still hadn't told me what he had offered her to tempt her into such a bargain.

In the distance, I could see the ruins of the seemingly ancient village of Oakvale. I had read separate accounts of its destruction, but no one knew for sure what really happened there. Reaver's eyes darted over, and he suddenly looked equally as uneasy. He moved his hand from my back to lace his fingers in mine. He squeezed my hand tenderly. Suddenly the answer became obvious, but I didn't dare say it aloud.

My heart throbbed nervously beneath my ribs as we drew closer to the entrance to the lair of the Shadow Court. I looked to our traveling companions, and I saw that I was not the only one affected by the deep, foreboding aura around the place.

Twisting paths carried us down into the sunken temple-like structure. As we drew nearer to our final destination, my nervousness grew. I heard Reaver chuckle softly beside me, and I glanced down to see that I had gripped his hand so tightly that I may have broken a few bones. I yanked my hand back, and I gave him an apologetic look.

He merely rubbed his hand, and offered me a soft grin. "I have suffered far more painful injuries by your hand, my love."

I heard Agni's booming laughter fill the cavernous place, but it died away after a few moments.

We entered a main chamber, and the torches lined around the circular room lit by magic. I saw three darkly-colored thrones centered in the middle of the room, and I looked to Reaver.

His eyes steadily waited until three dark, specter-like figures appeared before the thrones.

"You grace us with a personal appearance two years in a row, Reaver," said the figure in the middle. "And you have brought your wife along with you. What a pleasure it is to have you, The Queen of Albion."

I said nothing. I felt the heat drain from my skin as the creatures turned their flickering scarlet eyes on me, and Reaver's hand once again found mine, fully healed and strong once more.

"I have questions that require answers, but first..." He motioned toward Penelope and Agni. "The tribute, as required."

They each stepped forward, each holding a Dark Seal in their hands.

"Very good," said the Shadow Judge in the center. "They are acceptable."

Agni's face was stalwart, but a flicker of excitement ran through his eyes. Perhaps at the chance of wealth? Penelope's eyes were squeezed tightly shut, and she whispered softly to herself, her trembling hands clutching at the Seal. For a few moments, I wondered if she was willing. The entire journey, she'd seemed so far-off and distracted.

A cloud of dark smoke engulfed them. It smelled similar to the horrid incense that had been burning in the temple where Sharreen had resided, but I contained myself. My eyes were locked on what was happening. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't look away.

When the smoke drifted away, the task was done. Penelope and Agni were old, and their eyes were empty, glowing white orbs. I thought suddenly of Nathaniel, who had described them what seemed like ages ago. _'She had no eyes anymore; they were just bright, white, empty spaces...'_

I then looked to Reaver. Striking silver eyes stared back at me, and he offered me a sliver of a grim smile. I tore my eyes away as my nerves bundled up within me. It was over, yet I felt no relief. I tried to remind myself that I would lose him forever if this did not take place every year, but it did not ease the knot in my stomach.

"You two may make your way outside," Reaver instructed the pair. "I will give each of you the payment you have earned when I am done with business."

"Yes," Agni said with a curt nod. He moved to allow Penelope to lean against him as they shuffled slowly out of the chamber.

"What are these questions?" asked the central judge, the voice booming through the chamber. The figure tented its slender, razor-like fingers together as it moved forward.

"Lilyana nearly died four months ago," Reaver said, stepping out onto the extended platform. He put his hands on his hips, and he narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

"She lives, it seems," The figure said, and the cold sensation trickled all over my body as it looked in my direction, once more.

"Childbirth nearly claimed her life, and I wish to know why," Reaver insisted. "She was physically dead."

"We did not anticipate her condition," It replied. "The matter was resolved, regardless."

"Will it happen again?" He demanded to know.

"She is as you are, now. Unaging. Undying. Unchanging"

I could see the relief wash over his face, and he stepped back.

The words left my mouth before I could think. "I cannot have any more children. Is that a side-effect of this deal."

"Curious, are you?"

Moving to stand at Reaver's side, I took his hand. His eyes held me for a moment before the Judge gave its answer.

"Your body is frozen. A woman's body must change constantly to facilitate a child, and with the deal that your husband made, yours cannot."

Reaver's hand tightened around mine, and his eyes fell away from me. His guilt was an almost tangible thing in the air. I could see it in his new gray eyes. He blamed himself for my infertility, and for a moment, so did I.

"Is our business concluded?" The Judge questioned.

"Yes," Reaver said, his voice cracking softly.

Without another word spoken, the shadows vanished, and the torches extinguished, suddenly. Reaver pulled me to his body and clutched tightly at me.

"I am so sorry, darling," He exhaled, pressing a soft kiss against my forehead. "I did not know. I did not think. I am sorry."

I shook my head, burying my face in his chest. I could not articulate the sorrow I felt. I drew away from him, and I strode toward the door where we'd come in.

We walked out of the Shadow Court in silence, but I could feel his new eyes observing me, trying to unravel the mystery of my determined, blank face. I felt like crying, screaming, hitting him, and breaking down, but I knew that would get me nowhere. I was ready to go home to Bowerstone, climb into my bed, and hold Amelia for as long as I physically could. I would never get another chance to cradle a newborn daughter or son. I rubbed at my eyes. I was exhausted in every sense of the word.

Agni and Penelope walked slowly, and I saw that two carriages were now parked on the far end of the marsh. I assumed they would be taking each spent offering to places of their choice. We caught up with the pair easy enough, our pace swift. Reaver's hand twitched and barely touched mine for a moment, but he drew it away, perhaps thinking that I was angry with him.

We reached the waiting carriages, and Reaver motioned for Agni to board the large one that we had traveled in, and I observed the second. It was not a carriage at all. My eyes widened, and I looked to Reaver for an answer, but he did not give one.

"Your payment is already aboard, Agni," Reaver said to the old, hulking pirate. He shook the man's hand briefly, and he watched as he boarded slowly, still adjusting to his old, weary frame.

Agni's carriage hurried off, and Reaver strode toward Penelope.

"You are sure that this is what you want?" Reaver asked her.

"I ask only for mercy, Reaver," Her old voice wavered and cracked as tears leaked from her eyes. She dropped onto her knees before him.

He closed his eyes, and he exhaled. He drew his Dragonstomper from its holster, and he took aim.

"Thank you," She whispered as he pulled the hammer back.

The crows that were perched the surrounding dead trees took flight at the sound of the thunderous gunshot, and Penelope fell backward into the marsh.

The footman of the hearse hurried down to open the doors, pulling a wooden box from within. He hoisted it with a grunt toward Reaver.

Reaver bent to scoop Penelope's lifeless body up, and he carried her toward her waiting coffin. He placed her within, running his hand over her eyelids, shutting them forever. He folded her arms peacefully over her chest, and he helped the footman hoist her within the hearse.

My heart dropped. Penelope hadn't asked for any sort of reward. She had asked for death. I was so terribly confused, and I felt a tear slide down my cheek. Reaver returned to me, offering the handkerchief from his pocket, and I took it, dabbing at my eyes.

"She wishes to be buried with her family in Willow's End," Reaver instructed the footman. "See to it that she is."

"Yes, Your Grace," said the footman as he latched the doors shut. He moved around to climb back into his seat.

I understood, if only minimally. She had lost her family somehow, and she'd wished for her life to be over. Reaver simply took advantage of her youth before her wish was granted. A chill ran through me, and I shuddered. I wasn't sure I was ready for this, but I had endured it. I could only hope that the weight on my shoulders would ease over the years.

"Her husband and child died," Reaver said softly. "I...granted her wish so that she may join them. I am sorry that you had to witness it."

"Can we go home?" I asked, desperately, breathlessly, as my whole body tightened.

"Yes, my love," He said, wrapping his arms around me, enveloping me in the comfort of them. "Take us home."

-oOo-

The way that Reaver's eyes lit up when he laid hands on Amelia melted the icy sadness in my heart. He scooped her out of her cradle, and he pressed a kiss against her head. She cooed and smiled in approval, and he held her tightly to him.

"You have sprouted so, my darling," He said to her, resting a cheek against the top of her head. "You grow too quickly for my tastes."

I stepped forward, and I stroked her rounded cheek, smiling warmly.

Angela and Logan, who had been there to greet us, excused themselves quietly, leaving us alone.

"You must be hungry," Reaver said to her. "Your mother is positively bursting out of her blouse, so I daresay you have a feast ahead of you."

I took a seat in the corner of the sofa, unbuttoning my blouse. I was, in fact, spilling out everywhere, and I thanked the gods that I hadn't started to leak. I took Amelia from Reaver, and she grasped me, eagerly tucking in.

Reaver slipped an arm around me, and he kissed me. "Now, we need not worry ourselves for another year. We do not have to be present every time. Circumstances were...different this time."

I nodded softly as I remembered the words of the Shadow Judge. I closed my eyes, and I exhaled softly. Theresa had told me many months ago that I would have no children, but hearing it again and knowing the reason why made it real.

"What is going on in that mind of yours, darling?" Reaver asked, his new sterling eyes drifting inquisitively across my face, trying to read me. His arm tightened around me, and he pressed himself closer. He traced the curve of my cheek delicately with his fingers.

I brought a hand to wipe at the smudged kohl around one of his eyes, and I shook my head. "It is nothing that I can change."

Realization crossed his face, and he pressed a kiss to my forehead. "I am still so very sorry."

"I would have died," I told him. "I would not have had the chance to return to you and Amelia if you hadn't made the deal on my behalf."

He sighed heavily. "Perhaps the deal that I made was what caused it all. It interfered with your body's natural function. It may have been the reason..."

I shook my head. "Do not drive yourself mad over this. I will need time, but I will learn to accept it." Amelia drew away from me, and I rubbed and patted her back for a moment before switching her to the other breast. Her appetite had been increasing, so she fed nearly ravenously.

"We have time," He said with a short nod.

-oOo-

I crossed the study, my eyes searching the books for one to occupy my mind for the rest of the night. I wasn't sure if I would be able to sleep after the events of the day, and I would need probably more than the one book I already held in my hands. I found a newer book that had been sent along for Amelia, but I figured that she wouldn't have use of it for many years. I pulled it down, and I saw that it was a book that bore the guild seal on the cover. I ran my fingers across the stamp, and I flipped it open. It was an account of The Hero of Oakvale, a story I'd heard many times as a child, but this was an older, more valuable edition.

I stacked that on top of the other book I carried, and I decided that if I needed more, I would simply return later. I left the study, and the guards stationed along the hallway bowed and greeted me as I passed. I turned into my room, and I opened the door quietly, for Reaver had been trying to get Amelia to fall asleep when I'd left.

I slipped into the room to see that Reaver was making a slow lap around the room, with Amelia, whose eyes were drooping sleepily. His eyes turned up to me, and he smiled warmly. I closed the door quietly, and I made my way quickly to the sofa, and he moved to put Amelia in the cradle that we had moved into the adjoining room.

When he reemerged, he left the door a tiny bit cracked, and he put his hands into the pockets of her trousers. "What are we reading tonight, my dear?"

"Books I've read before," I sighed. "I thought perhaps since we passed through the ruins of Oakvale, I may read some of its history."

"You are a clever woman," He said with a sigh. "I am sure you have pieced things together."

I held the books to my chest, and I nodded, remaining silent.

"The man that handed Oakvale to The Shadow Court was fearful," He said. He crossed away from me, glancing back over his shoulder. "The price he paid was a heavy one, but what was done can never be undone."

"You were that man, Reaver," I said softly. "Surely there is part of him left in you somewhere."

He raked a hand through his hair. "You do not want to know that man, Lilyana. He was foolish and selfish and so very weak. He is dead."

The words were final, and I accepted it, for the moment. I did not want to fight. I set the books down on the table before crossing to meet him. I took his hands into mine, and I looked up to him.

"Do not pity me, Lilyana," He said softly.

"Then let us talk of something else," I said. "Or we could sit silently. I do not care. I'm sorry that I brought it up."

He frowned softly, and he kissed the top of my head. "We shall discuss it when I've had more time to think, and perhaps much more to drink."

I offered him a soft nod with a smile.

He glanced to the books on the table, as if searching for a distraction. Passing up the tome emblazoned with the Guild Seal, he picked the smaller, scarlet-colored book. It was a book of old folk tales and fables. Mirth crossed his face. "This one will do."

"What? You have to censor what I read, now?" I asked with a smirk, raising my eyebrows. I took a seat on the sofa, and he sat directly beside me. He kept a hold on the book, and he drew my body closer to lean against him.

"I thought, perhaps, that I might read to you," He said, licking a finger before exploring the pages, possibly searching for a particular fable. "Ah. Here we are."

I looked up, trying to peek at his selection, but he pulled the book out of my view.

"Now," he said, clearing his throat. "There once was a very handsome man..."  
I glanced up to him, and smirked. I'd basically memorized that book, and this was most definitely not a story that was included.

"Do not give me that look, darling. You are breaking my concentration," He said, his eyes darting briefly down to me. He moistened his lips, and he held the book open with one hand, while letting his other slip down to rest across my torso. "Now, where was I? Ah, yes: There once was a very handsome man, and he had everything one could possibly want. His life was simply divine until, one day, a beautiful Princess broke into his home and positively ruined the lovely party he was putting on for a gathering of honored guests. And do you know what happened next?"

Playing along, I shook my head.

"Good girl," he said before he continued, "The Princess drove the handsome man completely mad. She undermined his entire existence—everything he stood for. The Princess turned to a Queen, and she continued to challenge the Handsome Man. He had to have her, and he did. He had her many, many times in positions of varying difficulty."

I snorted softly, rolling my eyes.

"Quiet, darling," He shushed me. "Hmm...let me skip to a more...detailed selection" He pretended to skim the pages for moment. "Here we are. The man slipped his had greedily across her torso..." He acted out his words, his hand skimming across the bodice of my dress. "The Queen, excited by his touch, sighed with pleasure." He gave me an expectant look.

I brought my hand to my forehead, and I looked up to him. I sighed dramatically, and he seemed pleased.

"As he seduced her his incredibly skilled touch-" He is hand dipped further down my body, finding the apex of my thighs. "-The Queen told him how she loved him... and craved him."

"I love you," I said, smirking. "I _crave _you."

"And-"

I sat up, pulling away from his grip, and I moved to trace a line of light kisses across his jaw.

Tutting gently as he closed the book. "My love, that is not how the story goes."

My hand, moved up his thigh. As I found what I was looking for, I drew back to see his face.

He pulled me across his lap, and his arms tightened around me. "Though, I have always been a avid supporter of improvisation in the arts," He chuckled softly as he leaned in to kiss my mouth.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this one!**


	7. Bittersweet Arrival

**Editor's Note: Hey folks, this is a quick editor's note from the beta reader for this series of fanfics. I'd like to thank everyone who takes the time to both read and review, follow and favorite this work. To those that have yet to leave their thoughts for the hardworking author, I ask you to please remember that your thoughts and reviews drive this story! Please take a moment to leave your input, as we both very much appreciate the feedback. Thanks, and without further ado, enjoy!**

-Chapter Six-

There was a quick, panicked knock at the door, and I felt Reaver jump quickly out of bed before I could even stir. He threw his robe on, and I made sure my nudity was covered before he yanked the door open.

"Reaver," said Logan breathlessly from the doorway. "I...need you."  
I heard Reaver chuckle. "You need me? You cannot possibly know how many fantasies you are fulfilling right now."

I sat up just in time to see Logan sock Reaver in the gut, and Reaver held onto the door frame for support.

"You are getting better at that," Reaver rasped, holding his midsection.

"Angela is in labor, you fool," Logan said. "They have sent me out of the room, and-"

"Yes, yes. I heard you," Reaver said. "You_ need_ me."

Logan growled, "And Lilyana. Angela has been asking for her."

"Very well," Reaver said. "We will be by shortly."

Logan stormed off, still huffing nervously, and Reaver burst out with laughter.

"I do not think I've ever seen your brother so unnerved," Reaver said, wiping his eyes gently.

"You were in that position once, if you remember," I reminded him, climbing from bed.

"Yes, but I didn't punch anyone," He said.

"You drank heavily and smoked more than two dozen cigarettes," I said. "Ben and Logan filled me in on _all _of the details."

"I was not intoxicated," He replied, stripping off his robe and going to the wardrobe to fetch some clothes. "I was easing my nerves."

"Surely."

* * *

When Reaver and Lilyana approached Logan, he was pacing up and down the hallway, looking very sullen. He had his arms folded over his chest, and his brow was furrowed with worry. He glanced up to see them, almost thankful.

"They said that she has progressed very quickly, and they sent me out of the room," Logan said. "She's been asking for you." He glanced over to Lilyana.

Lilyana nodded, and she gave her brother a swift hug. "She will be fine, Logan."

Logan looked as if he were about to say something, but he did not. He patted his sister on the back, and urged her toward the door. "If you would come out and tell me how she is doing..."

"I will," She assured him, reaching for the knob and entering slowly.

Logan tried to peek around her, but Angela was not in view. He cursed softly, and he plopped down into one of the chairs that a servant had brought.

Reaver took a seat next to him, and he pulled a cigarette from the case in his pocket. He offered one to Logan, who declined silently. "No one is truly stopping you from being in there. If you wanted, you could simply..."

"I couldn't possibly," Logan said with a shake of his head. "After what happened with Lilyana, I couldn't possibly think straight in there. I would be so worried, and Angela doesn't need to deal with my anxieties."

Reaver lit his cigarette, and he nodded softly. "I understand completely, my friend."

"I am just ready for it to be over," He exhaled, raking his hand through his dark hair. "I am ready for the anxiety to go away."

"When a child is born, the anxiety does not go away," Reaver chuckled. "A new breed of worry is born along with it."

"I am sure we will be able to weather it," Logan said. "As long as Angela and my child make it safely through this, I am confident that anything else will seem simple in comparison."

* * *

I dabbed at Angela's forehead, though she hardly required it. Her labor was sailing by with ease. The doctor had informed us that she was nearing the point where she would need to push. She complained of discomfort during her contractions, but she managed it very well.

"You are doing very well," Kalin assured Angela. "You are a lucky woman, Lady Angela."

"I realize that," she chuckled softly. "I thought I would really be in for it considering how easy my pregnancy was."

I had to stop myself from snorting out loud. Her pregnancy had been so very uneventful, and now her labor was turning in the same direction. I was happy for her, yet at the same time I was extremely jealous. The circumstances surrounding Amelia's birth had caused so any problems in my marriage and life. Even surviving the ordeal, I'd fought every inch to get my life back, but I still felt so very broken.

"My Lady," said the physician as he finished up his exam, never once glancing down between her legs. He had performed the exam by touch alone. "You are nearly ready for the baby to come. Is there any pain?"

"Nothing unbearable," She assured the doctor. "Childbirth is painful. We all know that."

The physician nodded. His methods were much different from what I had experienced with Feya and Kalin's assistance, but it seemed to be working very well for Angela. He covered her once more.

When the pushing began, Angela finally started to show signs of genuine pain, but she handled herself perfectly. She grunted and groaned, but she didn't scream or curse as I had done liberally. She squeezed my hand with all her might which, for an average woman, was quite impressive.

"You are nearly there," The physician said. "The baby's head will be coming soon."

Angela nodded, trying to catch her breath, and Kalin wiped the sweat from her brow. She bore down, and a loud outcry of pain escaped her. Her eyes squeezed shut, and her teeth ground together.

"The child will be here quickly, My Lady!" the doctor exclaimed.

I took my hand back, and I grabbed the receiving blanket, readying myself for the child's imminent arrival.

Kalin hurried off to prepare the medical tools for the doctor, and Angela pushed once more. The baby's cries filled the room, and I was surprised by how it affected me. My heart felt torn between happiness for my brother, and his new family, but a deep sorrow sprouted in my chest. I felt almost breathless.

"It's a boy!" The doctor proclaimed. "Congratulations, My Lady. You have a healthy son."

I held out my arms, and the doctor passed him off to me. I only glanced briefly at my nephew, but tears gathered in my eyes at the sweetness of his face. My arms trembled as I hurriedly handed him to Angela, who was weeping with joy. She cradled him against her, and she pressed a kiss to his forehead.

I gulped. "I will go tell Logan." I turned quickly, and I worked to leave the room before any of my forming tears could fall. I threw open the doors, and Logan hurried to me.

"You have a son," I told him, my voice quaking.

"A son," He said as he seized me, quickly hugging and kissing me on the forehead before rushing into the room to meet his child.

Reaver rose from his seat, his eyebrows raising, and I turned away from him, instead walking toward the nearest exit to the garden. I couldn't face him with this. I pushed my way outside, and I saw that the sun was rising in the distance.

"Lilyana," I heard Reaver call from behind. He sounded a good distance behind me, but he would catch up swiftly. He ran a great deal faster than I could.

I broke out into a run. I couldn't let him catch me. If I faced him, I wasn't sure how I would react. My feet carried me clumsily down the stairs toward my father's crypt. I slipped, and I skidded down the last few steps.

I growled in frustration, and I covered my face. Hot tears streaked down my face, and I wept aloud.

"Lilyana," He said, catching his breath and putting his hands on my shoulders. "What has come over you?" He tried to pull me to my feet, but I pushed his hands off of me.

"He was beautiful," I sobbed, bringing my knees to my chest.

"You have run all this way because he was beautiful?" He laughed gently.

I shook my head. "I will never be able to bring another child into the world, Reaver, and I want to...so badly."

"Darling, there is no need to-"

"Please stop talking," I cried. "I do not want to hear it from you, of all people."

"So it has come to this, now?" He asked. "You finally want to blame me when I have apologized countless times, and you have accepted. I do not know what you want to hear."

"Shut up! Please...just..." I couldn't breathe. I gasped in a lungful of air, and I trembled with all of my tears. "I'm sorry to take this out on you. I can't-" I wept aloud

He sighed, and he pulled me to my feet. He pulled me against his body, and I buried my face into his chest. I clutched at the lapels of his jacket, and I felt his arms lock around me. He placed a gentle kiss on the top of my head.

"I wanted another chance..." I sobbed. "I wanted to enjoy being pregnant, and enjoy the day my child is born...And I've taken all that for granted."

"I wanted that, too, love," He said, squeezing me lightly. "Do not ever doubt that."

I pressed my lips together, and I drew back to stare up to him.

"I can never know your pain, but know that I feel one of my own," He sighed.

"If you wished to have another child, you could...with ease," I said, throwing up a hand. "You are not the one who is broken."

"You are not broken," He said firmly, grasping me by the chin, his eyes mercurial and full of outrage at my claim.

I closed my eyes, and I felt his grip soften. Gentle fingers swept my tears away.

"Look at me, Lilyana. This will not be the end of you," He said, his eyes holding mine steadily. "You will overcome it. It takes time."

"How can you be so numb? So accepting of such terrible things?" I asked. "How do you drown it out?"

He stroked my hair gently. "Years and years of practice, darling." His breath was shaky as he exhaled. "With age comes perspective and an open mind."

"And what of Oakvale? Does it not hurt you still?"

His jaw tensed, and he shook his head slowly. "I prefer to leave the dead buried. I can do nothing to change it, can I?" He moved his hands to cup my face.

I slid my arms around him, and he encircled me in the comfort of his embrace once more. "I'm sorry for reacting this way."

"We have been through a great deal," He sighed. "Though, I am usually one for excitement, I find myself hoping for an uneventful year."

I nodded heartily in agreement, and I looked up to him. "Perhaps we could wake Amelia so that she can meet her new cousin."

* * *

"We've named him Julian," Logan said as he put my nephew into my hands. His lips were stuck in a seemingly endless smile. "After Angela's father."

I looked down to him, and I smiled broadly. He had dark hair, like his parents, and he had dark brown eyes that he had gotten from his father. "He's beautiful, Logan. I am so happy for you." I ran a finger down Julian's rosy, round cheek.

"Congratulations," Reaver said, offering a nod to my brother. Amelia waved a chubby fist at him, trying to get her father's attention, and she cooed with pleasure when he gave her a kiss. "I hope you have gotten plenty of rest until this point, brother. You will need it."  
Logan shook his head, dismissively.

The tugging at my heart was still present as I looked down to Julian, but I reminded myself that I had Amelia. She was my beautiful miracle. I passed Julian back to his father. "How is Angela?"

"Tired, but elated," Logan replied. "She is resting for the moment."

Ben approached, raking a hand through his messy blonde hair. "I heard the news," He said to Logan, patting him on the shoulder. "Congratulations, mate."

Logan nodded in thanks, and he glanced back to the bedroom door. "I think I may check on Angela."

"Go on," I said. "We will have plenty of time to enjoy little Julian when everyone is more rested."

He disappeared into the bedroom, and closed the door behind him.

"I never thought I'd see him with a child," Reaver said.

"No one ever thought they'd see you with a child," Ben added. "I mean, come on, Reaver. You weren't exactly known for being a nurturing or mushy individual."

Reaver grinned. "I suppose you are right, though I do not think I will ever be 'mushy' as you so skillfully put it."

"I have seen you when you think no one is looking," I chuckled. "You do your fair share of cooing and nuzzling, love."

"Now, you," He said, his eyes turning to me, "are just exaggerating."

"So, Reaver..." Ben said, wiggling his eyebrows. "Do you feel like coming to the tavern to sing my praises to some of the beautiful ladies there? It sounds a little cocky if _I _go around saying I'm a knight."

"So very true," Reaver said "Darling, you surely would not mind-"

I shook my head. "Go ahead. I suppose I will stay home with Amelia, while you boys have your fun, but not _too much _fun, Reaver."

"Darling, you wound me," He said, putting his hand over his heart. "I will be sure to save some fun for when I return to you tonight."

"Only some?" I questioned, smirking.

"Oh, my love, you will have as much as your body can take," He said, seizing me around the waist and leaning to kiss the side of my face.

Ben cleared his throat, and he pulled his pocket watch out from his vest. "If we hurry, we will make it before the sun sets."

* * *

The next morning, Ben opened his eyes, and he immediately regretted it. He closed them once more, and he groaned. His head throbbed from too much drink, and he thought vaguely to himself that he would have to stop accepting Reaver's drinking contest challenges. It was as if Reaver just wanted him to be terribly hungover. He rolled over onto his stomach, but he felt someone shift beside him.

He hesitantly cracked one eye open, and he saw that a woman was laying flat on her stomach. All he could see were the curves of her body and a mass of curly corn-silk hair. He tried to lift a few of the curls, in hopes that he would catch a glimpse of his conquest's face, but she was buried completely in the pillow beneath her head.

He sat up, and he rubbed his temples. He barely remembered anything from the night before. He most definitely did not remember bedding this woman, though he'd ingested a great deal of both whiskey and ale the night before.

The throbbing in his head would not leave him, so he reached to the bedside table. He found that his flask had been replenished, and he thanked the gods that he'd thought to refill it before throwing himself into bed the night before. He took a few generous swigs before laying back into the pillows.

The woman stirred, and she finally showed her face. She had a sweet-looking, heart-shaped face with glistening skin and wide dark eyes. Her rosy lips curled up into a smile. "Good morning, Ben."

"I...ah...good morning," He replied, laughing nervously. He'd never not known a woman's name the morning after sleeping with them. He was always very good about making sure he had it right.

"Would you like to try to guess my name, or would you rather that I tell you?" She asked, faint laughter bubbling through her words.

He felt his face grow hot, and he cleared his throat. "I don't remember much from last night."

"I never told you my name, so there's no need to get embarrassed," She assured him, her finger trailing down his chest. "You were a perfect gentleman with me...until I asked you not to be..."

She leaned in and he pressed her perfect body against his. Her mouth was hot on his, and her hot hands roamed all over him.

He melted into the feeling of her body, and he slipped his arms around her. He groaned gently into her mouth, and when the kiss ended, he laughed. "You still haven't told me your name."

"Oh, I suppose I've had my fun," She said deviously. "My name is Arianna."


	8. Day Trip

**A/N: As always, I am extremely thankful for the reviews I've been getting. I appreciate every one of them! Read and review this chapter to let me know what you think! **

-Chapter Seven-

I looked across the breakfast table toward Logan and Angela. It had been a month since Julian was born, and they looked worse for wear. Their eyes were puffy, ringed with dark circles of insomnia, and they sagged near-lifelessly as they ate their food.

"Another rough night?" Reaver asked, sipping at his coffee and glancing to them over the top of the Bowerstone Gazette. He smirked almost gleefully.

"The doctor says it is normal," Logan said, rubbing his eyes, holding back a yawn.

"Amelia certainly didn't wail at all hours of the night, even at such a young age," Reaver said. "But then again, I suppose my seed is just predisposed to spawn perfection."

"Leave them alone," I chided him. "Not all babies can be perfect little angels."

"I realize that this must be some sort of atonement for breezing through pregnancy and labor without any sort of hitch," Angela sighed. "But wouldn't you like to keep him...just for one night?"

Reaver snorted. "Good gods, no." He popped the yolk of his egg and dragged a piece of roasted potato through it. Taking a bite, he chuckled again.

"Perhaps tonight," I offered, slashing my eyes toward Reaver. Angela and Logan had helped us a lot when Amelia was so young. I figured it would be only fair to give them a night of near-uninterrupted sleep.

"Perhaps Kalin would know of a remedy to soothe him," Angela suggested through a yawn. "I may write a letter after breakfast."

"If you are in need, I may go pay her a visit and ask in person," I offered. "It's been a while since I've been to Aurora. I wouldn't mind a small break."

Reaver set down his paper, and he raised a brow at her. "Would you care for some company on this trip, darling? I had also wanted to check on the factories, but I did not want to pester you with my business."

"Perhaps," I told him. "If you make it worth my while."

"Oh, I believe I can manage _something_." He leaned in to kiss my face tenderly, his hand sliding up my thigh under the table.

"You know, I think I preferred you two when you were fighting constantly," Logan said, gulping down the rest of the juice in his chalice. "I held my food down much better."

I shot my brother a look, as if to say I'd caught him and Angela in some amorous situations, but I didn't say anything. Going to Aurora would be a nice break from the monotony that had built up at the palace. We hadn't seen much of Ben lately, and that had taken some of the excitement out of my life. He was one of my only friends that lived outside of the castle.

I sighed, finishing off my tea, and I stole a potato from Reaver's plate, having eaten all of mine. His eyes found mine, full of feigned disapproval.

"How dare you take food from my plate," He teased. "Can you not see that I am positively wasting away?"

"You are getting a little round around the haunches, my love," I said, pinching the side of his rear.

His eyes narrowed, and he pushed his plate away.

* * *

We'd come to the apothecary with a recipe for the concoction that Kalin had assured us would soothe Julian's crying. Perhaps, then, Logan and Angela would be able to get some much needed rest, and I would have my brother and friend back. We waited as the man worked, crushing herbs and measuring liquids from an array of bottles and jars in all shapes, sizes and colors. I wondered what other kinds of potions or elixirs could be made with such tools and reagents.

I wiped the sweat from my brow. Even inside the apothecary's hut, Aurora was sweltering, but I found that I enjoyed the heat. Reaver had insisted on digging out one of the old flowy dresses that had been purchased for me so long ago. Had it really been nearly a year since we'd been here? It seemed like mine and Reaver's time together was just beginning, but two years had passed since our first tryst at the ball thrown in my honor.

I glanced back over to Reaver, and I saw that he was inspecting a bottle with a fat stopper stuffed into the top. He curled his eyebrow as he turned the bottle around, the thick golden liquid rolling and bubbling lightly in the glass.

I folded my arms over my chest, and my eyes lingered on him. He still took my breath away with his beauty, but back then, I had been nothing but a little girl, blinded by the light of the sun and clinging to its warmth. I had been so lost in everything back then. I was so naïve. Now, I had come to appreciate the man he was—inside and out. Yes, he had done terrible things, but he had also done wonderful things. I found myself becoming more and more accepting of both his light and dark sides. I wasn't sure if that was a change on my part, or a change in the balance in our relationship. Something between us had changed that night in Bloodstone. The dynamic had shifted. We both felt it, I knew, but we said nothing in reference to it.

Reaver set a bottle down, and he put his hands on his hips, offering me a small smile."You look deep in thought, darling."

I shook my head softly. "It's nothing, love."

He moved to my side, taking my hand and lacing his slender fingers with mine. He brought my hand to his mouth, and he kissed it in that way he had always been very good at. His eyes trailed down my body, slowly appreciating the way the soft, luxurious fabric clung to my curves. When his eyes met with mine once more, he leaned in, his mouth almost touching my ear as he whispered, "You can share your thoughts with me. No matter how inappropriate or naughty..."

I laughed softly, and I glanced over to the apothecary, whose eyes cut back and forth between his duty, and me and my husband. "We are being watched."

He hummed softly with amusement, drawing me closer. "I have never been afraid to put on a show."

I saw that the man had finished his work, and I broke gently away from Reaver, only holding onto his hand. The apothecary met us in the middle, bringing the small bottle along with him. He placed it in my hand, and he offered me a smile

"Give to the baby when he cries," The apothecary said. "It is probably stomachache that ails him, and this will work."

I nodded, and Reaver took the bottle from me to slip it in his pocket. He patted it, as if saying he would be sure to keep it safe. "Thank you very much."

When Reaver reached for his satchel of coin, the apothecary stopped him.

"You do not pay," he said. "Take it with my thanks, Your Majesty, Your Grace." He nodded deeply to both of us..

"Thank you, sir," I said, offering him my best smile.

He reddened around the edges and gave a final bow before going to disappear in the back room once more.

"Come, darling," Reaver said, tugging me softly toward the door. "I suppose I should get some work done while I am here."

* * *

While Reaver looked over paperwork, calculating profit, compensating for losses or perhaps just reading things over with a discerning eye, I walked about the office, picking up books from the shelves, and flipping through them. I doubted any of these books had ever been read. They were merely decoration. Some of them were priceless, and I wondered if I would be able to persuade him to let me take some of the more interesting ones home. I made a mental note of which ones I required, and I grabbed one, deciding that I would have a little read while my husband took care of his business.

I lay back on the chaise lounge, and I, for a moment, pondered what use could a businessman have for a chaise lounge in his office. The style that had been worked into my hair was getting in my way, so I sat back up, and I pulled at the pins fastening it into a bun. I let my hair fall loose down across my back, and I ran my fingers through the silken chestnut waves. I smoothed the fabric of my dress down, and I adjusted the way it fell over my breasts.

I heard papers rustling at Reaver's desk, and I turned my eyes back to him, and I saw that he was watching me with great interest. I pretended not to see him, and I heaved a great sigh before reclining against the lounge once more. I opened my book, and I started reading the words. It was a comedy by Phillipth Morley—one I'd read only once before a long time ago.

Laughter bubbled out from me as I consumed the words, and I heard the squeak of Reaver's chair, followed by footsteps. I glanced innocently up to him as he regarded me with a soft smile on his lips.

"How can I be expected to get any work done when I have such distracting company?" He asked, propping his hands on his hips in an almost exasperated gesture.

I closed the book, setting it down in my lap, and I merely shrugged, a grin spreading across my face.

"Are you being this alluring on purpose?"

"Alluring?"

"Tossing your hair and running your fingers across your breasts," He explained, tapping his foot against the hardwood floor. "It is absolutely maddening."

I felt as if I were being scolded by a parent. I licked my lips softly, and I trailed my fingers deliberately down my front. "I'm sorry if I've disturbed you...I could always take the carriage back to Kalin's. I'm sure she would enjoy my company."

He grabbed the book from my lap, and he tossed the valuable first-edition to the ground. I half-way winced, but suddenly, he was pulling me to my feet. His fingers greedily gripped at my backside, and his mouth hesitated to press to mine.

"I will never get any work done," He sighed, turning me and pressing against my rear. He kissed the side of my neck as his fingers traced the path mine had taken just moments before. "This would have put me a little bit a head, but I suppose..."

I broke away from him, and I chewed on my lip as I led him back to his chair. "Then work." I pushed him down into his seat.

"And what am I to do with this eager protrusion?" His eyes trailed down to the front of his trousers, which were growing more and more cramped.

I leaned down and I pressed a kiss against his forehead before lowering to my knees before him. "I'm sure you have plenty of experience in balancing work _and_ play." My hands worked at relieving the strain of his trousers by releasing him.

"You devious little minx..." He breathed as I wrapped my lips around him.

I scooted backward, tucking myself into the generous space beneath his desk so that he would still be able to get some of his work done if he so wished. He pulled his chair forward, and I could hear his pen touch to the paper once more, as his free hand moved beneath the desk to stroke my hair.

I never admitted to him how much I enjoyed doing this sort of thing for him. I knew that the moment I did, I would never be able to stop the requests.

His pen scratched busily away at the papers, almost rushing through his work. His breathing had become a little louder and quicker, and a soft groan escaped him. I could hear him dotting i's, possibly crossing t's and placing periods at the end of his sentences with extreme zeal.

The door to the office opened suddenly, and I felt his hand pull at my hair, urging me to stop, but I continued, a smile curving across my busy lips.

"Mister Reaver," said a man with an accent that suggested he was not Auroran. Perhaps it was the foreman that Reaver had introduced me to earlier in the day. "We've met our quota and exceeded it for the day."

I dragged my teeth lightly across the underside of his member, and I felt his legs quake gently in response.

"Very good," Reaver said, his voice wavering slightly. "Very...very good."

"I may be mistaken, but wasn't The Queen here in your office with you?" The worker asked.

After running my tongue up and down the length of him, I took him into my mouth once more as far as I could possibly fit him.

"She is attending to some...ah...very important business," Reaver gave as an excuse, his fingers curling tightly into my hair. "If you'll excuse me, Laurence., I am rather engrossed in what I have going on here." I could feel his hips shifting slightly, and I adjusted my position, and I found that I could take him deeper than I had before.

"Of course, sir," Laurence replied, and he exited the room swiftly, the door closing behind him.

I heard Reaver's pen hit the desk, and he now had two hands curled in my hair, urging me up and down on his thick, massive arousal. He scooted away, and I followed closely, never taking my mouth off of him.

"Sweet fuck, Lilyana," he groaned, his hips trembling.

I increased my pace, sensing that he was close, and I moaned around him, letting him know that I was enjoying the pleasure I brought him. And I did. I found myself utterly excited at taking him like this in his office.

"Darling, you may want to..." He gulped, using his hands to try to draw my mouth away from him.

I persisted, and his body tensed.

"Oh, love, I..." His sentence was interrupted by a soft moan. I could tell he was trying to hold himself back, but that just wouldn't do.

I brought my eyes up to look at him, and his eyes were fixed on me, as his lip was tucked between his teeth. I moved furiously against him, and the trembling of his body gave me even more of a thrill. Our eyes were locked as he reached his end,groaning and cursing, as he spilled himself into my mouth. I drank him down eagerly, lost in the heat of his pleasure. I loved the look on his face. It was pure pleasure mixed with a bit of shock and excitement.

His fingers loosened in my hair, and his body fell slack against his chair. He panted, and I drew away, using my thumb to wipe across my mouth. I licked what remnants were left on my finger, and I offered him a naughty grin.

I rose to my feet, and I leaned against the edge of his desk. I glanced back to his work. The paper that was on top had a lot of spots where I could tell he'd left his pen too long, and his handwriting was much less composed than its usual swoopy script. I grinned a little

He stood, pressing his mouth against mine, his fingers clutching at my hips. He pulled away from my mouth, still breathless, and he bit his lip. "You have gotten very, very good at that, darling. Have you been practicing?"

"How would I practice without you knowing?" I raised a brow at him, reaching down to grip his erection in my hand once more. It showed no signs of fading any time soon, and that stirred the churning desire within me.

"Hmm," He leaned in to suck the lobe of my ear between his teeth, tugging at it in the most amazing way. "Have you been having fun without me again?"

"Would that anger or excite you?" I stroked him softly, and I felt his breath flare against my neck.

"It would anger me if you did not let me watch such a thing," he tutted. "Though, let us not fool ourselves, darling, you could never know true satisfaction if I were not the one inflicting it upon you." His lips brushed my collarbone, and he held me possessively to him.

I parted my thighs, and I looked expectantly up to him. "Are you planning on inflicting some satisfaction upon me right now?" My voice was breathy and charged with lust.

"Over there," he said, his voice the slightest bit hoarse. His eyes moved over to the chaise lounge in the corner."Now."

I raised my eyebrows at him. "So soon?"

He nodded, his silver eyes full of pure heat.

I released him, and I slid off of the desk. I reached behind me to untie the sash holding my dress up. The fine silky material slid off of me without any resistance, and I stepped out of it, glancing at him over my shoulder. I offered him a coy smile, and I bent down, placing my hands on the edge, and I wriggled my backside at him, giggling a little.

He strode to the door, flicking the lock quickly, and he shrugged out of his coat, letting it fall to the floor. He made quick work of his vest, his eyes determined . He approached me from behind, and he untied the laces of my underthings, grabbing them quickly. Inspecting them, he chuckled. "These are very nearly soaked, my love. I can only imagine how ready you are..." He pushed into me without warning.

I gasped, and the sensation rippled through me. I gazed back to him, and I chewed on my lip. At this angle, he effortlessly hit all of my most erogenous areas. I clutched tightly at the cushion of the lounge, and I pushed myself back against him.

"Oh, Lilyana," he sighed, stroking my backside with a fierce, yet tender touch.. "We do not have much time." His hand moved from my backside around my waist until he was stroking two of my hottest, most pleasurable spots all at once.

Panting, I held back my cries of acute titillation. I squirmed under his passionate thrusts, against his skilled, working fingers, and my knees trembled and buckled beneath me.

"Are you so close already?" He asked, "Perhaps this will not take as long as I thought."

I dissolved into ecstasy, my legs giving away, but he held me steadfast to him, not ceasing until I heaved a breath, my head collapsing against the plush cushion. My heart jumped in my throat, and my breathing was unsteady.

He grabbed my shoulders, pulling me to my feet and withdrawing. I opened my mouth to protest our separation, but he whirled me around and gathered me up in his arms. I held tight around his neck, and he gripped my thighs as he slid inside of me once more, his mouth turning up into a grin. "You did not think I would leave you when we've only just begun, did you? No matter how short time is, I am a man of pride, and I cannot let my work go unfinished."

I clutched at the collar of the shirt he had been too hasty to remove, and I shuddered as he dug himself further inside of me from below. I still hadn't quite caught my breath, and I could already feel the electric charge of climax building within me once more. How did his body know exactly what to do to make me crazy for him? After our years together, I still could not put my finger on it. I crushed my mouth against him as he carried me over my edge once more.

* * *

When we met with Kalin again, she seemed very sad that our visit would be so short. She had invited us for dinner, and Reaver and I had worked up quite an appetite at the factory. We accepted her invitation, and as we sat eating dinner, her mood seemed more somber than I'd seen her in quite a while.

"My people are growing," She started to explain. "And they are changing. But I fear I cannot change with them. I am an old woman with an old soul, and Aurora needs the vigor of someone fresh and young to represent them. I will only hold my people back in my position."

I raised my eyebrows, and I glanced over to Reaver, who had been ravenously consuming the spiced meat and rice that had been laid before us for this course. He brought his eyes up to our hostess, and he swallowed his final bite before leaning back into his seat.

"You are welcome to return back to Albion with The Queen and myself," He offered.

Kalin and I were equally shocked at his invitation. Her eyes found me, and she raised her eyebrows, almost asking if such a thing would be alright with me.

"You would be working closer within Lilyana's court, of course, but such a wise woman would be a great asset to our day-to-day business," He continued.

"Ah...I am thankful for your offer, but if The Queen does not-"

"Of course I would like you to come," I said. "You are a dear friend and your counsel would be well appreciated and put to good use with me."

She smiled. "I never hoped that such an offer would be made, but I will most definitely accept it. Thank you, Your Grace."

He threw up a hand dismissively, shrugging a little, as if the offer hadn't been a life-changing one. He sipped heavily from his goblet of desert berry wine. He raised his eyebrows, and he said, "I know that Lilyana and Angela would both enjoy having you closer, and I strive to bring Lilyana joy whenever I can." His twinkling eyes caught my gaze and he grinned.

"You are lucky to have such a generous husband," Kalin said, her wise eyes almost knowing that he spoke with an innuendo in mind.

I laughed softly, and I sipped at my own wine. It was tart, but so very refreshing. I set my goblet back down, and I nodded. "He is generous."

"Only when it comes to you, I'm afraid," Reaver corrected me. "With all others, I'm the greediest bastard Albion's ever seen, and I am not ashamed to admit it."

"Knowing one's virtues and faults is a very good thing, Your Grace, but I fear you do not give yourself enough credit," She said. "I have seen much tenderness in you, as much as you try to cover it with wit."

"Then, I should do a better job of covering myself, now shouldn't I? I can't have the people thinking I've gone soft just because I've married and started a family," He said, his eyebrows arching upward. He laughed, finishing off his wine, and a cup-bearer was apt to step forward and refill the chalice without time for Reaver to set it back on the table. His hand found my knee under the tablecloth, and he squeezed me tenderly.

"Love is not weakness, Your Grace," Kalin said. "But I know that trying to convince you of this will be like trying to push a stone uphill." She smiled and then added, "Too much work."

The room filled with our mutual laughter, and the course was taken away from us to be replaced with a sweet, berry-filled dumpling smothered in a tart, but smooth and thick cream. I wiped a remnant of the cream from my lip, and I licked it away. I could feel Reaver's hand tightening on my leg beneath the table, and I glanced over to him..

His eyes were full of heat, as if he were remembering what else I'd wiped away from my lip and savored the taste of. When I offered him an innocent smile, he returned it, and glanced back to Kalin. "So, I take it that you will need a few days to get your affairs in order."

"Yes, Your Grace," She affirmed with a nod. "I have been preparing myself for departure from this position, and I have many fine candidates that would make a superb replacement for me. I could give you a detailed report when dinner is through."

I nodded, and I smiled. Having Kalin in Albion would be very nice, indeed. She brought a calmness with her wherever she went, and with my life, I knew she would be a good influence. I looked forward to having her ear when I needed advice. She had always been a motherly sort of woman, and perhaps I would gain a bit of wisdom from her years.


	9. Taking Action

**A/N: Read & Review! It really keeps me motivated to know that people are anticipating the next chapter and sharing their thoughts! Hope you enjoy this one!**

-Chapter Eight-

Arianna strode through the Dark Sanctum, her body moving quickly as she carried an armful of papers and documents. Her blonde curls bounced, and the people she passed couldn't help but turn to stare at her beauty.

Seth was lounging in his chair at the desk, staring down to the shard laid ceremoniously across a velvet cushion. When he saw Arianna approach, a dark grin spread across his face. "It is finished." He picked the thing up in his hands, and he ran his finger across the runes that had been carved into its sides. His unnatural eyes lit up with excitement.

"Finished?" She questioned. "Already?"

He nodded. "I sped up the process a little. I sacrificed a few of my less devoted followers."

She smiled. "So you _did_ end up taking my suggestion."

"Yes," he sighed, almost sounding defeated. "They were more expendable than I had originally thought." He saw the bundle of papers in her arms, and he moved the shard to a cushion-filled box. He sat up, readying himself for the load of papers.

She laid them down across the desk, and she spread them. They were maps that had been hand-drawn in exquisite detail. She pulled one out in particular, and she pointed her finger down to a small room that was adjoined to a larger one. "That is the little Princess's room."

"Have you yet been inside the castle?" Seth asked, raising a dark brow. He put his hand over hers, stroking the soft flesh gently.

"No," She sighed, slightly annoyed. "My handsome knight has yet to invite me, but I think I may add a little more persuasion to his flask each day."

"Too much of that will kill him before we have our chance," Seth warned her. "We need him."

"I know what I am doing, Seth," She replied. "I am not so foolish as to poison him before the plan has gone through. Besides..." She grinned softly. "I would hate to have to end our little trysts. He is quite skilled in bed."

Seth's eyes widened. "You enjoy him?"

"I do," She replied.

"More than you enjoy me?" He asked, pulling her down onto his lap. He dragged his finger down the front of her dress, and he leaned in to nibble tenderly on her neck.

She drew in a sharp breath, and her long lashes brushed her cheeks as she closed her eyes. She shook her head, her thick lips turning upward into a smile. "I could never enjoy anyone as much as I enjoy you, my love."

"Get into Bowerstone Castle," He said. "I do not care how you persuade him to take you."

She nodded.

"And when you place the shard you must activate it, to let me know that it is in place," He instructed her.

"How?"

"Blood, of course," He said, and he reached for the shard. He wrapped his fingers around it, and he brought it around for her to look at. He grasped her hand, and he drew the pointed edge across the pad of her thumb.

Arianna gasped, but her eyes widened with excitement. She drew her lip between her teeth, and she ground herself down against Seth's lap. A bead of dark scarlet blood slid down the shard, and the runes glowed a faint red color.

"Then," He said, kissing the side of her neck. "When you have activated The Shard, I will have the ability to teleport into the castle, and the little Princess will be mine."

She nodded softly, and she said. "And your plans for Reaver and The Queen?"

"They will, undoubtedly, come after their child," Seth said, almost dismissively. "And I will be thoroughly prepared."

* * *

I juggled Amelia in one hand and a book in the other. She slept on my chest, the fingers of one of her little hands tangled in my hair, and the thumb of the other hand stuck in her mouth. I couldn't concentrate on my book because I found that my eyes constantly drifted back toward her. She was too beautiful not to look at.

The door cracked open, and I saw Reaver strolling in with a newspaper tucked under one arm, and a box underneath the other. When he laid his eyes on us, he smiled, and he took quick quiet steps toward the bed where we lounged. He set the paper down at my feet, and he placed the box on top of my lap. He pulled at the ribbon, and he unboxed the gift. It was a book, that much I knew, but it had been wrapped with a fine, luxurious fabric.

I cocked a brow at him as he unwrapped the thing, and what I saw was something I could hardly believe. The volume looked so old that, had it not been taken very well care of, it would have turned to dust. He opened it gently, being careful with its ancient spine, and he glanced over the handwritten letters.

My eyes widened, and I set the book I had been trying to read to the side. I couldn't decipher any type of marking on the outside of the book, the binding was so worn, yet the pages within seemed to be perfectly preserved. I could barely contain my curiosity. If I hadn't been holding Amelia, I might have snatched the old thing from his hands and flipped through the pages, but I didn't dare rouse her. I would have to wait to look at the book with my own eyes. "What is it?" I asked.

"It's a tome of ancient bloodlines," Reaver explained. "Heroic bloodlines, actually. With this book, and a few more current volumes, I daresay you could trace your bloodline all the way back to William Black, if you so wished."

I was very eager to get my hands on the book, now. I exhaled, glancing toward the peacefully sleeping child sprawled across me, and I brought my eyes, once more, to Reaver. I licked my lips, and I asked quietly, "Would you mind...?" I lifted Amelia ever so gently.

He moved the box from my lap and set the book there. He took Amelia from me, and she stirred, whining softly. He rose to his feet, cradling her against his shoulder and hushing her softly. "Do not fret, my darling. I have you." She still whimpered, her eyes opening, and she lifted her head, glancing about the room.

I opened the tome, running my fingers across the letters on the first page. I was absolutely enthralled in its utter condition and age. "Where ever did you find this?" I asked him, awestruck as I looked over it once more. The language was a little different from what the people of Albion spoke now, but I could comprehend it.

"I've had it a few years," He said nonchalantly. "It was in storage for such a long time, I thought I might give it to you."

I smiled warmly in appreciation. I had never received such a thoughtful gift from him before. Extravagant gifts? Yes. Obtuse gifts? Once in a while. But this was so astoundingly well-chosen, it touched my heart. "Thank you. I'll treasure it always."

Reaver merely shrugged, as if it had been nothing, and he returned his eyes to Amelia. "Now, little one, what can I do to coax you back to sleep? A story, perhaps?"

There was a swift knock at the door, and I hesitantly set the book down to rise from the bed. I hurried across the room, and I opened the door. Ben stood in the doorway, but he looked terrible. His blue eyes were dull and tired. He still wore his signature smile but it was less bright, somehow forced.

I stepped outside the door, and I closed it behind me, granting us a little privacy while Reaver tried to put Amelia to bed once more.

"I've got some not so good news," Ben said. "One of the larger villages in Silverpines has been under balverine attack the past few nights. They've run out of silver nitrate, and they're practically defenseless up there."

I exhaled softly, and I furrowed my eyebrows in thought. I could send a group of soldiers to handle the problem, but it would take hours for them to arrive. On the other hand, if I went personally, I would be there within a fraction of a second, but I would also be at a bit of a disadvantage. Depending on how many balverines had flocked to the village, the job would be extremely simple or exceedingly difficult to take on by myself, but the people were helpless. I could not let them wait hours for soldiers. I had to go. "I will go, Ben."

Ben's eyebrows raised, but he nodded. "It's been a while since you've been in a scrap, hasn't it?" He chuckled lightly, and he sighed heavily. "I would offer to go with you, but I've been sick the past few days. I'd only slow you down."

I inspected him more closely. His brow was moist with sweat, and his skin had a pallid tone to it. "Perhaps you should stay here. Kalin or a physician should see you."

"I can't stay. I've got someone...er...staying with me," Ben explained. "I've been seeing this girl for the past month or so...She's sort of moved in."

"Why haven't you brought this girl around for me to give my seal of approval?" I asked, raising a brow and offering him a playful smile.

"I think it would be a little intimidating for my poor Arianna," Ben sighed with a soft shake of his head. "I mean, she's expressed interest, but..."

"Then, bring her, and I will see her," I said. "Then I will tell you what I think, and whether she's worthy of you."

He laughed, but he then groaned softly, wiping at his brow. A look of pain crossed his face, and I stepped forward, putting my hand across his forehead. He was fevered, for sure, and that worried me greatly.

"You need for someone to see you," I pleaded softly.

"You're not my mother, Lilyana," He said, his voice taking on a harsher tone. "I don't need you worrying about me constantly. You've got worries of your own. I will survive."

I pressed my lips together gently, and I sighed. "Fine, but if you are not better by tomorrow..."

"I know," he sighed with a soft nod. "If I feel terrible tomorrow, I will talk to Kalin."

"Good," I said. "Now, I may need you to stick around, in case Reaver insists on going with me."

He nodded. "That's my job, isn't it? Though, you may want to have a nurse stay with Amelia. I'd hate to get her sick, if whatever I have is catching."

"I'll have other guards here, but..."

"I know," He said. "I'm the only one you trust with her...You've told me many times."

"Alright, Ben, I'll be leaving here, soon," I told him as I hesitantly stepped away. "Take care of yourself."

"Don't worry," he said. "I'm not going to drop dead any time soon, especially not from this." His laughter was faint and counterfeit, like his smile.

I turned, and I opened the door once more, and I stepped in. I saw Reaver walking back and forth across the room, as he usually did when he was trying to get Amelia to sleep, but he was speaking to her in a sweet, tender voice.

"...And that is when your most crafty and ingenious father hoisted the cannon, pointing it skyward before blasting through the ship and taking down the mainmast of _The Marianne." _

A soft giggle bubbled up from Amelia's mouth, and Reaver paused his story, and he looked up to me. We shared in a silent moment of amazement as she continued to giggle her first bout of laughter at Reaver.

"She's laughing at you," I said, stepping forward and stroking her head softly.

"Or Captain Dredd," he chuckled in response. "He's the one who had the grave misfortune of standing between me and my dominion over the seas, but her first laugh..." He smiled fondly pinching her chubby little cheek.

I placed a kiss on her forehead, and I exhaled a sigh. I was regretting volunteering my skill for the night, but the people of Silverpine were in need. I moved across to the my wardrobe, and I threw it open.

"Getting dressed at such a late hour?" Reaver asked. "Where ever could you be going? What did Ben have to say?"

"Balverines in Silverpines," I explained simply. "Probably a lot of them, but a regiment of soldiers will not be able to get there before they destroy the villages."

"And you are under the impression that you are going by yourself?" He scoffed softly as he rubbed his hand tenderly across Amelia's back. He curled a brow at me, as if to ask if I had gone mad. His eyes took me in as I undressed, and he pressed his lips tightly together. "I am going with you."  
"There is no need, love," I assured him. "I am perfectly capable of handling a few balverines on my own. I have done it before, and I will undoubtedly be able to do it again."

"I do not doubt your abilities, my pet, but you must know it has been a while since I have had the opportunity to..."

"You want to shoot something, don't you?"

"Desperately," He breathed.

* * *

Silverpines was eerily quiet. Had the balverines done their damage and moved on already? I had my sword drawn, and Reaver's Dragonstomper was held firmly in his hand. We moved swiftly, almost as one, our feet falling silently against the earth. A howl in the distance broke the calm of the forest, and the screams of villagers followed shortly after.

I broke out into a run with Reaver following, then overtaking me. His keen eye must have spotted one before I had, because he was firing shots, and from what the yelping coming from the invisible balverine suggested, he was landing every one of them. As I rounded the a sharp corner in the wood, the village center was visible to me.

A group of roughly half of a dozen balverines were terrorizing the fleeing villagers, and I tore the silver nitrate flare from my belt. I lit it the silver nitrate flare I had brought along, and I hurled it accurately to the center of the ravenous pack. They darted away, their screeching howls of pain and anger bouncing off of the trees.

"Seek shelter inside!" I called to the panicked villagers. I spotted a cellar beneath the largest building, and I pointed to it. "When it is safe, I will retrieve you!"

A balverine dropped from the sky behind me, and I turned promptly, slashing my sword across the beast's midsection. It clawed at me, but I ducked backward out of its vicious reach. I brought a hand down with unrelenting force, and my Will pushed back two more approaching balverines.

Glancing back to Reaver, I saw that his mouth was fixed into a ferocious smile of excitement. He was avoiding the blows of the balverines he fought with unmatched skill and grace. His body bent in ways that might have seemed impossible for anyone else, but he ducked and dodged and fired with the precision only a Hero could have. I had never seen Reaver fight like this before, but taking on a balverine, did, indeed, take grace and sure footing. My attention was brought back to my own fighting, when I just narrowly avoided being slashed across the face.

"Do not let yourself get too distracted," Reaver said, his voice full of mirth. One of his balverines had fallen, already, and he was left with just two. "I assure you that you will have the chance to take in all of the wondrous things my body can do once we've dispatched these beasts."

I skewered one of the massive black monsters through the stomach, and it let out a final, gurgling howl. I pushed it off of my blade, and I stood steady, gathering my will. My body glowed bright blue as I charged my spell, and I unleashed a flurry of phantom blades.

Out of desperation, one of the creatures slashed at my left arm, and I cried out. I drew the injured appendage in toward my body, and I swung my blade, compensating for my, now awkward stance. A bullet struck the thing in the head as my blade crossed its legs, but it shrugged both attacks off as if they were nothing. It closed in on me, and I glanced down to my injured arm to see that my Will gauntlet had been reduced to ribbons of useless leather. I pulled the thing off, and I tried to shake the throbbing pain away.

I sent a boot into the nearest balverine's gut, and I brought my sword upward through its jaw, killing it almost instantly, but covering me in a spray of hot, red blood. I pulled my blade back to me, and I could feel that my arm had healed enough for me to switch my blade to my non-dominant hand so I could cast spells with my remaining gauntlet. I tossed the blade into my left hand, and I twirled my blade skillfully as I faced the last of the balverines that had been gathered around me.

I threw a fireball at it, and, from the corner of my eye, I saw that Reaver was dispatching the last of his balverines. I called out to him as I tangled with my balverine, "There must be one more! They are never this organized without a leader."

"A White Balverine?" Reaver yelled, running to my side. "For such_ rare _creatures, there always seems to be one skulking about." He fired three shots into the balverine I fought.

"I am sure that it will appear momentarily," I told him as I finished off the last of my balverines with ease. I glanced down to my hand, and I saw that it was almost completely healed again. "They always do."

As if summoned by our words, the great white beast appeared, snarling and howling, its unearthly voice raising goosebumps all over me. I heard Reaver laugh in utter adulation of its massive size and the challenge it presented. He gave my rear a reassuring pinch, and he said, "You close in on it, and I shall do what I do best."

I nodded, and lunged forward. I slashed angrily at the thing, and something unsettling happened. Another White Balverine dropped down behind Reaver, and I yelled, "Behind you!"

* * *

It was raining heavily in Bowerstone, but Arianna had been prepared for that. She carried a large black umbrella that shielded her from most of the weather's wrath, but she was still getting rather wet. She trailed up through Bowerstone Market, her eyes set on the castle in the distance. She wasn't sure if she would be able to get in, but with the weather like this, perhaps Ben would take pity on her situation and ask her to come inside.

She slipped her hand inside of her bag, reaching into a secret pocket to find the shard, her hand warming with the feel of its power. She could almost feel a connection to Seth when she touched it, and her heart purred with satisfaction. Very soon, Seth's plan would unfold, and she will have proven her utter devotion to him. Who cared if he planned to breed himself with that little whelp when she came of age? It was merely business, as her relationship with Ben Finn had been. She knew Seth's heart belonged only to her.

Arianna released the shard and closed the concealed compartment it lay in. She approached the gates, and the guards immediately stopped her. She put on her widest, most dazzling smile, and she straightened up a little. "I'm here to see Sir Ben Finn."

"We can't let you in, ma'am," said the taller, younger guard, his mossy green eyes taking her in. He stepped forward, and he made a gesture, as if to shoo her away.

"Could you send for him to meet me, then?" She asked. "He's been terribly sick, and I picked him up a tonic from the apothecary." She pulled out the bottle as proof, and she held it up for the guard to inspect.

He debated inwardly for a moment before he nodded. He glanced back to his partner, and he said, "Go fetch Finn, and he can tell us what to do from here. You don't mind waiting, do you ma'am?"

She shook her head with a small smile. "Not at all."

A good ten minutes passed before the guard returned with Ben in tow. Ben looked positively exhausted, but his eyes lit up when they found Arianna. He passed through the gate, and she pressed herself into his arms, giving him a small peck on the cheek. His hands lingered gently on her hips as he exhaled.

"What are you doing here, love?" Ben asked, joining her beneath her large umbrella. "It's raining. You'll get whatever I've got."

"I'm not afraid of getting sick, darling," She assured him, putting her hands over his heart. She raised her eyebrows, and she pressed her lips together. "I only want to make sure that you get better, so I went to the apothecary." She produced the little bottle, and she tucked it into his pocket. "Take this as soon as you get inside, and I'll wait at home for you.

Ben glanced around, "I couldn't possibly let you walk back to The Old Quarter when it's raining like this. Come on, I'm sure The Queen won't mind if you pop in for a while until she gets back. Then we can take a carriage back to my house."

"Are you sure?" Arianna asked, her brown eyes innocently searching his. She tilted her head to the side, and she stroked his face."I would hate for you to get into trouble with Her Majesty."

"No, darling," He assured her. "I'm sure I won't be." He did the gentlemanly thing, and he took the umbrella from her, holding it over their heads. He took her hand into his, and he tugged her toward the opened gate.

"If you insist." She pressed a quick, heated kiss against his lips, and she followed him into the castle grounds. A devious smile invisible to all else spread across her face, and she squeezed his hand. "I do so hope that they will be home soon. I cannot wait to have you all to myself."

"We will see how I feel," He said with a nod. "I'm not sure I'll have the energy."

"Drink that potion, and I'm sure whatever ails you will simply disappear," She said, glancing back to watch the gates close behind them. "The apothecary assured me it was fast-acting." She adjusted the bag over her shoulder and her eyelashes fluttered as she looked up to him.

"Good, because I feel like utter shite," Ben chuckled.

"Don't worry, darling," She purred. "Soon enough, I hope, you won't feel anything."

**A/N: Dun dun dun.. Two cliffhangers in one?**


	10. Breach

-Chapter Nine-

Reaver and I were nearly equally matched with the two White Balverines. I was without one of my Will gauntlets, and I had run out of ammunition for my pistol. I patted down my waist, and I found what I searched for.

The cry of Reaver's Dragonstomper thundered through the village as he took aim at one of the beasts and fired. He narrowly avoided being tackled by the thing's quick charge of rage, and his body spun around gracefully to fire once more, this time into its back.

My own balverine rounded me, his teeth gnashing violently as it snarled. I brought up my sword to parry an attack, and I felt its mouth close around my hand. A shout of shock and pain erupted from me, and I pulled my hand away. My other Will gauntlet had been destroyed, and I tore the thing off to quickly assess the damage done. Thank the light, my skin had not been broken, but a few of the bones in my hand were probably fractured.

I wrapped my other hand around the silver nitrate flare, and I baited the balverine to come after me. I broke out into a run as I struggled with the lighter Reaver had given me to use with the flares. When the flint finally struck a spark, I lit the flare, and bright white and blue flame spilled from the top. I jumped at the creature, and I stuffed the flaming flare into its eye.

It wrapped its huge arms around me, a terrible scream leaving its sputtering, slobbering mouth, crushing a few of my ribs, and a strangled cry of pain left me. I felt power building within me. I was panicked. I couldn't control it. I had never performed a spell without the safety of the gauntlet's focusing power. My body trembled with restraint, but I couldn't hold back. Thick ribbons of electricity shot through me, bursting outward violently, engulfing the beast. I couldn't stop myself. When my Will energy depleted completely the lightning stopped. The monster fell backward into the mud, and I drew my sword from my back once more to slice at the beast's neck, cutting all the way through until my blade met the earth.

I rose slowly to my feet, and I turned to see that the Reaver's balverine had him pinned to the ground, and I inhaled, sending a shockwave of pain through my ribs. I hurried over, and I jumped on the beast's back. I brought my arms around it's neck, and it jumped off of Reaver, trying to shake me away. I gripped tightly with one arm, and I held up my sword. I jabbed it down into its gut, and I continued to squeeze the thing's neck. I gritted my teeth together. A little more pressure, and I might be able to...

_CRACK_.

The balverine's neck snapped under my grip, and it, along with me, fell back into the earth with a large thud. I was crushed beneath its weight, and I sputtered for breath. I shoved the massive, lifeless creature off of me. I was positively covered in mud, blood, and viscera. I felt Reaver's hand wrap around my wrist, and he helped me to my feet. I steadied myself, and I looked about the area. There were balverine corpses strewn about the village center, and two of them were white. I heaved a heavy breath of exhaustion. My ribs were so terribly sore, now, but my wounds would mend, as they always did.

"Oh, _darling_, you fought beautifully." Reaver's voice was husky, deep, utterly aroused. He slid an arm around me, and his silver eyes shone with a dark thrill. He did like a good tumble after a good tumble, if I remembered correctly. His mouth crushed against mine, and his hands grazed all over me.

My injuries cried out in complete disapproval of his rough, arduous touch, but the heat between my thighs begged for him to continue. I curled my fingers in his hair, but I had to draw away to catch my breath. I looked up to him. His face and hair were now smeared with balverine blood, but he didn't seem to care. His eyes shone with an extreme need, and his arm tightened around me.

I winced with pain, and he drew back almost immediately, his eyes full of concern. I put a hand against my aching ribs, and he exhaled.

"Perhaps we should go home," He suggested. "I'll try to contain myself until you've healed, which, hopefully, will not be very long" His eyes took me in once more, and he gulped. "After that display, if I don't have a chance to be inside of you soon, I may shoot someone."

I smirked a little bit, and I limped gently to the cellar where the villagers were hiding. Reaver threw the doors open for me, and I called down. "It should be safe now, good people. The soldiers will arrive shortly with more silver nitrate torches, and your village will once again, be secure. Stay here until the soldiers arrive, in case there were any that did not make themselves known."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" called out the man that must have been the leader of the village. "We are so very grateful for your help!"

"It is no problem," I said simply before closing the cellar door. I didn't feel like having to sit through long, drawn-out speeches of thanks. I took a seat on a nearby bench, knowing I would need a few moments to gather my Will energy to fast-travel back home. Reaver sat beside me, and he looked at my bare hands.

"You performed magic without those gauntlets," He said. His eyes held a glint of curiosity as he beheld me.

"I've never done that before," I said, almost in awe as I stared down to my hands. I turned them over, inspecting my palms. "I never thought I would be able to..."

"Your father performed spells with no gauntlets at all," Reaver informed me. "I don't believe I ever saw him wear such things. I had always wondered why _you_ required them."

I shook my head, not knowing the answer. Perhaps Theresa did, but she so rarely gave me clear answers. "I am not sure. I just always assumed that I would need them, as if my Will were not powerful enough on its own."

He took one of my hands into his, and he stroked it gently before raising it to his mouth. He placed a kiss across my palm, and he closed it. "Perhaps your power is growing, and you've no need for such things anymore."

I reclined against him, exhaling loudly, and I closed my eyes. I could feel my body revitalizing itself, and I knew that in a short amount of time, I would be ready to take us away.

"Darling," Reaver asked, wrapping his arms gingerly around me. "Do you feel much better?"

I nodded. "I won't be able to take us for a little while, but my wounds are healing."

"Hmm," He sighed. "Oh, I wonder what we could possibly do to pass the time..."

I glanced over to him. "If we do anything of that sort, we will be here, once more, waiting for my energy to replenish."

"Well, since you enjoyed yourself so thoroughly in my office the other day..." He glanced downward, and I could see plainly that he was still incredibly invigorated from the fight.

I nudged him gently, and I shook my head. "If I do that, you're only going to want more. You always want more."  
"Of course I do," He said, leaning in, his breath feathering against my neck. "How could I not?"

I chewed on my bottom lip, and I shook my head. "Can you wait until we are in the comfort of our own bed?"

He exhaled. "You intend to waste this rather glorious erection?"

"They are all pretty spectacular, but this one must go to waste I'm afraid," I sighed, sounding as dejected as possible. "Though, I promise that once we are home and comfortable in our bed, I will let you do unspeakable things to me."

"Unspeakable, you say?"  
I grinned, and I nodded.

* * *

As they entered the castle, Ben and Arianna drew no direct attention. He didn't plan on staying very much longer. He was sure Lilyana and Reaver had been able to dispatch the balverines with relative ease. He was eager to drop down into bed, whether Arianna joined him or not. He felt terrible, but he wouldn't let anyone else know it. It was his duty to Lilyana to protect her child. He couldn't let that simply fall to the wayside because he had gotten sick.

He moved to ascend the stairs toward the study, but out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Amelia being carried by her nurse—a wrinkly, thin old woman named Carla. He moved toward them, and he gave Amelia a smile, who giggled in return. He'd never heard her do that before, and it brought a crooked smile to his pale, drawn face.

"Hello there, gorgeous," He said, being sure to stay back a little. He couldn't chance getting the Princess sick with whatever he had. He brought his eyes up to Carla, and he repeated, "Hello there, gorgeous."

Carla laughed a rich, throaty laugh, and she shook her head with a roll of her eyes. "Benjamin Finn, you silly boy."

"Oh my goodness," Arianna gasped, covering her mouth. "She's beautiful!" She stepped forward cautiously, and she glanced to Ben. "What a lucky man you are, getting to watch after such a beautiful child all day."

"We'd better be getting the little one to bed now," Carla said. She turned to walk away, and she bumped into Arianna. Arianna steadied the woman, and she patted her gently before moving out of the way to let her pass.

"Come, love," Ben said, grabbing Arianna's hand. "Let's go up to the study."

As they moved, Arianna's smile grew, though it was obscured by her thumb pressed against her lips. He observed her for a moment. He didn't peg her for a thumb-sucker, but he shrugged, still unable to take his eyes away from her. She looked positively excited for something, and he wondered what could possibly inspire such glee. He blinked quickly, as they neared the door to the study. He couldn't wait to throw himself in the nearest chair, possibly have a nip of whiskey, and wait for it all to blow over. Pushing open the door to the study, he felt Arianna squeeze his hand gently, and he pulled her within.

Arianna closed the doors behind them, and she wrapped her arms around Ben. Her thick, soft lips touched to his, and she let her fingers run down his body. When she retreated, she patted the pocket where the little vial of elixir sat. "Take your medicine, love. You'll feel better."

"Maybe if you kiss me like that again, I'll feel better," He said, tugging her back toward him. His mouth overtook hers, exuding passion. Something about her was just so addicting to him. He couldn't get enough of the feel of her.

She groaned softly as his hands drifted across her back and down further. She pulled away, "Ben, we are in the royal study. Do you think that is appropriate?"

"I've been let in on stories about Reaver and The Queen being inappropriate all over this study," He chuckled, stroking her silken hair.

"Well, come, and lay down here," She said, drawing him toward the the chaise lounge. "Then, take your medicine, and we will see about what would be appropriate, hmm?" She sat him down on the lounge.

He reached into his pocket, and he wrapped his fingers around the bottle, and he observed it. It looked much like any other potion or elixir he'd seen. When he pulled the stopper, the aroma was surprisingly fragrant and alluring. He glanced up to see that Arianna had turned to take in the massive shelves of books that lined the walls. He gazed lovingly upon her, but he then felt liquid trickling down his front. He cursed just quietly enough that Arianna did not hear. He had roughly half of the bottle left, but he downed it quickly.

It was sickly sweet, and tasted of flowers, and he nearly gagged from the taste of it. He shoved the tiny stopper back into the bottle, and he played with the thing in his fingers. He removed his now-wet jacket, and he rolled it up to stick behind his head as he lounged back.

Arianna turned to see him lounging, and she smiled as she turned to sit on the edge. Her hand trailed tenderly up and down his thigh, and she blinked. "It shouldn't be long now, Ben."

He raised his eyebrows. "How long should this take to kick in? Did the apothecary say?"

"A few minutes," She said, her eyes lowering to his. "But I have to be honest with you, Ben. I didn't get that from the apothecary..." She grinned, and she raised her deep chocolate eyes to him. "I made it especially for you."

"What do you mean?" He tilted his head to the side, and he noticed that his vision was starting to become fuzzy. He moved his hand up to his face to rub his eyes.

"There it goes, darling," She said, stroking his head softly. "When I made this, I didn't want you to endure too much pain."  
He moved to sit up in alarm, but the room spun terribly, and he fell backward onto the lounge. He felt sick to his stomach, and he gulped heavily. "Wh-what did you do to me?" He stammered, his voice trembling.

"It's poison, love" She said, stroking his chin. "I couldn't have you in the way when my master is off snatching The Princess, could I?"  
His heart pounded in his chest, and the terror spread through him. "What does he want with Amelia?"  
"He wants her to be his one day," She said. "In every way." Her mouth twitched unpleasantly. "Mind, body, soul..."  
"No," He breathed. "You can't...she's a child."  
She said, running her fingers through his disheveled, wet hair, "You see, when she comes of age, she will be given a great duty. She will bear little heroes for the leader of those that inhabit The Dark Sanctum, my beloved master." Her mouth twitched again for a moment, but she rose to her feet, and she glanced back to him. "I may convince him to name one of them after you. It was, after all, thanks to you that we were able to obtain access to the little Princess." She walked her fingers playfully up Ben's chest.  
"Don't you f-fucking touch me, you monster," He growled, weakly pushing her hand away. His muscles were suddenly on fire. The sensation spread through his body, and he gritted his teeth.  
She pouted softly at him. "Oh, Ben. I truly wish there could be another way. You were quite an animal of a lover, after all." She growled low in her throat. "If Seth plans on having his little Princess to breed with down the road, why can't I have I have a little fun?"  
He flinched, pulling him self from her reach, and he shook his head. "He won't be able to get p-past the guards. She's too well protected."  
"Oh, you see, that's where you're wrong, my darling," She sighed. "Magic has a way around that, you know. You see, it was extremely good luck that we bumped into the nurse when we did. It gave me a chance to slip a very special artifact into her apron. It has a piece of my master within it, and all I needed to do was activate it. Just the tiniest bit of blood..." She held up her thumb, which had a little, healing gash on it. She stuck it into her mouth. She drew her hand away, and she laughed a little bit. "I'll bet he's in there right now, taking her away...I'll bet he's-"  
Using the last of his strength, he threw his fist straight into her face. It connected perfectly with her jaw, and her eyes rolled back, and she fell unconscious to the ground. He shook his throbbing hand, and he suddenly felt very sick to his stomach again, but his illness was interrupted by a loud wailing cry.  
"A-Amelia..." He rasped, his eyes widening with panic. His heart pounded beneath his ribs, and he trembled as he tried to push himself to his feet. He couldn't muster the strength. He threw himself to the ground, being sure to avoid landing on top of Arianna, and he tried t o climb to his feet. His legs crumpled beneath him, and he was left on his hands and knees. He crawled forward, every inch causing his muscles to scream with pain and frustration. His eyes filled with tears, and he glared up to the door, so angry that he could not reach it. He collapsed to the ground.  
"I'm so sorry..." He gulped, and his tears rolled down off of his face and to the ground. His eyes fluttered shut, and his body went slack. His fingers released the little bottle that the poison had been in, and it rolled down across the carpet.

* * *

Seth felt as if he had been plunged into cold water as he traveled to the site of the shard. The silence fell away, and he heard a woman gasp, then start to scream. He opened his eyes to see a frail old woman moving to scoop up the child. He lifted a hand and a ball of electricity flew toward the nurse. She collapsed and convulsed silently on the ground. His violet eyes glowed with pleasure as the woman twitched and jerked until her body suddenly stopped.

The child was wailing, and he closed his eyes for a moment, trying to clear his thoughts. He gathered the child up in her blankets, and he held her tightly. "Do not fear, child. You will grow to love me." He smirked, and they suddenly disappeared into blackness.

**A/N: This was not an easy one to write, but I think it will do well for the story. I am working on what's coming next, but I want to remind you guys that I take your reviews into consideration when I write. I would really like to know what everyone is thinking of the story so far. Let me know, and perhaps give some feedback (even constructive criticism)! **


	11. Questions and Answers

-Chapter Ten-

As we rematerialized in the study, the scene before me took the breath from my lungs. Ben lay sprawled feet from the door, and some woman was unconscious by the chaise lounge. I hurried to Ben's side, and I turned him on his back. His face was pale and still, and I put my ear to his face to check for breath. I exhaled, slightly relieved because he was breathing. "Guards!"

Reaver knelt before us, and he picked up the bottle from the ground. "I daresay either Benjamin had a bit too much fun this evening, or this girl poisoned him." He nodded over to the unconscious blonde woman in the corner of the room. He rose to cross the room toward the woman, turning her over. The woman's face was bruised badly. Something bad had happened here.

I looked up to the door, and I wondered why no guards had yet come. I rose to my feet, letting Ben down gently, and I called once more for a guard. My stomach became very unsettled, and I looked back down to Ben. Who would do this? Why would they try to hurt Ben? Where were all the guards?

"Go see what has happened," Reaver said, coming to kneel by Ben. He clutched Ben's coat in his hand, and he rolled it up, sticking it under Ben's head. "I will be here."

I opened the door from the study, and I closed it behind me. I surveyed the area, and I saw there were far less guards around than should be. Something was terribly wrong. I broke into a sprint down the hallway and up the stairs toward my bedchambers. I passed one guard, but he couldn't stop me before I was bursting through my bedroom door.

The smell of burnt flesh filled my nostrils, and I brought my hand to my nose, trying to block the scent. I saw one guard standing by the door leading to Amelia's room. His eyes widened, full of fright and sadness.

"Y-Your Majesty, I-"

Shoving him out of the way, I saw Carla's body twisted and empty laying across the floor. I stepped over her, and I saw that Amelia's cradle was empty. A shrill shriek of panic escaped me, and I had to grab onto the wall to keep from collapsing. My chest felt as if it had been caved in, and hot tears forced their way down my face. The room was spinning, but suddenly, everything around me froze.

I turned, and I saw Theresa standing before a portal. Her hands were folded in front of her, and her face was shrouded.

"I am very sorry for what has come to pass today, Your Majesty," she said in her silky, ethereal voice. "This...even I could not foresee."

"How could you not see this?" I wept, my whole body trembling. "She's my daughter! The Princess! The _only_ one that will carry on my bloodline! The only child I will be able to have!" I covered my face, my tears taking hold of me once more.

"The man behind this was shrouded by very dark magic," She said. "Very old dark magic." She stepped forward, and she took my hands into hers. "What I can tell you is that this man does not intend to harm Amelia...yet."

"How is that supposed to make me feel better?!" I jerked myself away from her.

"This man, Seth, he is of a Hero's bloodline," She said.

"I thought that I-"

"I could not see him, nor could anyone else," She explained. "Someone once took him, as your daughter was taken. He was raised by the inhabitants of The Dark Sanctum, and he intends to raise your daughter in the same way."

"No," I said, shaking my head. "I cannot allow it."

"He intends to make her his bride when she is of age," Theresa continued. "The power she will posses will be more than sufficient to secure Albion's fate either for light or dark, but the power of children produced from their union...if set on the world, it will drown in The Darkness once more."

I felt so very sick to my stomach now. All of the information was overwhelming. I felt Theresa's cool hands on the sides of my face, and I looked up to her.

Her blank eyes stared straight into mine, and she blinked slowly. "Seth is a very powerful Will user, Lilyana. You will not be able to best him as you are."

"What do you intend for me to do?" I asked. "I cannot simply give up! I must go to The Dark Sanctum immediately!"

"You have one of two options," Theresa said. "You can rush to face him, but you will not be successful."

I exhaled. Nothing in my life came without a steep price. I exhaled. "And what is my other option? To let her become his slave?"

"That is not an option," Theresa said. "She will never stray from him if he keeps her. She will be his forever."

"Then what do I do?" I felt my knees sag beneath me. I could barely hold myself up anymore.

"Come with me," Theresa said. "And all will be revealed" She held her hand out to me once more.

What could I do but take it? I placed my hand in hers, and she led me through the swirling portal. I felt as I had stepped into pure light. I opened my mouth to speak, but I couldn't. I was in awe. This was definitely not the plane that she had taken me to in the past. It not only looked different. It felt different. I was weightless, and the fatigue that had set into my bones had worn away. Even my emotions felt steadier, as if the calm, stark atmosphere had stripped everything away. I looked around, and I saw nothing. It was a great white void, and Theresa held my hands tightly.

"This is a world that runs slower than yours," She explained, her voice surprisingly flat in the endlessness of the ether. "You will be given a chance to focus your Will and hone it. With practice, you will become Seth's match, but it will take much practice."

"I cannot dally, Theresa," I said, my voice totally steady. "He will not keep Amelia in the same place forever, I am sure. We must find him before he has a chance-"

"Time passes differently here, Lilyana," She said. "You will be gone but a few moments from your world, but it will feel like weeks, perhaps months to you."

"Months?" I asked, the tiniest tinge of sadness cutting through the white, neutral facade that had been thrown across me.

"Albion was not built in a day, and it will take as long as it takes for you to save it," Theresa said. "There is no time, you must focus, Lilyana. Focus your Will."

"But I do not have the gauntlets," I protested. "I cannot-"

"The gauntlets channeled your power, but you have outgrown them. They will only hinder you, now. The spells I am to teach you would never be able to be harnessed by those leather scraps." She released my hands, and her milky eyes found mine. "Now close your eyes and focus your Will."

* * *

The door slammed shut behind Lilyana, and Reaver looked down to Ben. He brought the bottle up to inspect it, and tugged the little stopper from the top. He inhaled the sickeningly sweet scent, and he pulled the bottle away from his face, his lip curling with distaste. If it was poison, it was one he had never encountered.

He looked down to Ben's face, and he cursed softly. He had to stop growing attached to mortals. They broke so much easier than he or, now, Lilyana. He cared whether this man lived or died, and it was almost shocking to him. He couldn't very well go and make a deal with The Shadow Court every time he made a friend, however seldom that was. He pushed some of the other man's straw-colored hair from his eyes.

Ben's mouth parted, and his eyes fluttered a little. He was coming to. His eyes opened the tiniest bit, and he exhaled weakly. "They-" He coughed.

"Someone! If you can hear me, fetch Kalin!"

The loud howl of pain from the hall caught both of their attention.

"They took her..." Ben groaned, talking through the coughing. "They took Amelia..." His eyes rolled, and he fell slack once more. He still breathed, but his body trembled softly, weakly.

Reaver's anger rose up within him like bile, and his hand closed so tightly, the little bottle shattered into tiny shards of glass. The glass bit into his hand, but he merely shook it away, rising to his feet.

Kalin came running breathlessly into the room, as if she had already been on her way. "Go, Your Grace!" She dropped down beside Ben and inhaled the air around him.

Reaver stepped around the pair, and he tore off quickly, speeding across to the bedchamber within moments. A guard lay on the ground, looking confused and disoriented, but Reaver avoided him. He burst into Amelia's room, but it was empty save for the nurse, who lay lifeless on the ground. Where was Lilyana? Where was Amelia? Had they both been taken? He whipped around, and he seized the guard by the shoulders. Shaking him violently, his words rushed out of him, "_Where are they!?"_

_"_I d-don't know, Your Grace!" The guard stammered, tears of fear rising in his eyes.

Reaver looked positively murderous, his silver eyes churning with dark intent. "I am sure you know more than you are telling me. Now bear it all before I fill you to the brim with lead." He drew the Dragonstomper from his coat, and he pressed the barrel against the guard's forehead.

"I d-don't kn-know!"

"Say 'I don't know" one more time, sir. I dare you," Reaver seethed, his eyes narrowing as he pulled the hammer to the Dragonstomper back. His finger twitched over the trigger. If this guard was useless, then he should be dispatched. He had failed at his job.

"Reaver!" shouted Logan, who was bursting through the doors to the bedchamber. "Where have you been?"

"Dispatching balverines, while you and your people failed to protect my daughter," Reaver hissed, throwing the guard back to the ground. "What in in the name of all that is fucking sacred, has happened here?!"

Logan's face paled, and he shook his head, as if he were about to say those three most bothersome words. Reaver's finger still hovered above the trigger, and it ached to pull it. His heart was pounding in his head, the rage rising, taking over. He exhaled, trying to steady himself, but his muscles trembled with the tension.

Suddenly, a flash of white spread through he room, and Reaver thought for a moment he'd seen an angel, but it was Lilyana. She stepped through a tear in the very fabric of existence, her eyes glowing blue, and blue will lines etched all over her body, visible through the gossamer fabric of a white dress. Her hair trailed behind her, looking considerably longer than it had been mere minutes ago. The portal closed behind her, and she hovered above the carpet for a moment before all of the blue disappeared from her as she collapsed to the floor in a heap of tears and trembling limbs.

Reaver safely stowed his Dragnstomper away before rushing to her side. "What in the blue blazes has happened, Lilyana?"

Her shivering body moved to push her to her feet, but she failed. She couldn't speak through her sobbing, and Reaver pulled her into his arms. Her body was limp and fatigued, but she positively glowed with vitality.

"Love, do you know what has happened to Amelia? Do you know where she is?" He breathed, pushing some of her hair from her face.

"Will..." She breathed. "Will potion..I need..." She seemed breathless. She reached a hand out, and a little blue bottle sailed across the room into her clasping fingers. She emptied the thing into her mouth, and the tremors stopped coursing through her body. She exhaled heavily, and she lay back against Reaver's lap.

Reaver and Logan looked at each other across the room. They had never seen such a display of Will from Lilyana before. Reaver had never even seen Garth simply levitate something across a room with such accuracy, especially running so desperately low on Will energy.

She licked her lips softly, and she sighed, "How long was I gone?"

"M-minutes," The guard stammered. "You were in the Princess's room, and then you were gone, and now you're here."

Lilyana smiled, her face full of relief, and she nodded. "I know where Amelia is, but I need a little time to rest. I will not be able to do this without more energy."

"There is no time to waste, love," Reaver said. "This is our child. We cannot..."

She pressed a finger against Reaver's mouth, and she said, "I will explain everything."

* * *

I exhaled as I rose from the edge of the bed. I had sent both Reaver and Logan away, giving them each assignments. Reaver was to deal with that blonde girl, and Logan was readying soldiers to assist in the Dark Sanctum. How was I possibly going to explain where I had been? _I_ still wasn't sure of where I had been or how long I was there, physically. My hair had grown, but I hadn't eaten or slept or anything else people did. I simply existed, honing my Will, concentrating only on finding and rescuing Amelia.

"Your Majesty," said a guard, entering the room. "Lady Kalin has requested your presence. It concerns Sir Benjamin."

Ben. My heart twisted painfully within me. I had forgotten him. I leaped to my feet, and I hurried out the door. My muscles still felt like jelly, but I had to make it to him. The guard led me to a bedroom. They had obviously moved him in the short time I'd been gone. He looked so very close to death, but oddly, I could feel a twinge of life rolling off of him. I couldn't explain it. Perhaps it was another one of my new-found skills.

I crossed the room swiftly, and I looked up to Kalin. Her almond-shaped eyes were filled with sadness, but her hands moved up and down his body. She looked tired, but she was focused on him until she turned her eyes up to me.

"I have exhausted every option, Your Majesty," Kalin said, her voice tight with sadness. "I cannot save our friend. His body was too far gone when I got the antidote to his lips. I am sorry."

I gulped, and I covered my face. I exhaled, and I let my hands drop. I needed him. Amelia needed him. I couldn't let him slip away. I couldn't let another friend die for me. I moved toward Kalin, and I motioned for her to move to the side. "I think I can give him more time. Would that help?"

She nodded quickly. "The antidote will work, but it must spread through his body first. If you could just..."

"I think I can." I said, rubbing my hands together. I moved to sit beside him on the bed, and I picked up his hand. I could feel death quickening upon him, and I closed my eyes. I laced my fingers in his, and with my other hand, I ran it across his torso until I could find the strongest pulse of life over his heart. I could feel his life force, fading within him, and I wrapped my fingers around it, drawing it out, giving myself more to work with. I released his hand tenderly, and I used my other hand to draw my Will out of myself, weaving it with the very fabric of his existence, filling the holes in his life-force, making it fuller, more substantial in my hands.

I could feel beads of sweat rolling down my face, and my body had begun to tremble. My fingers moved so nimbly across his life, but I needed to stop. I was running out of energy. I could not be sure what would happen if I ran out of Will, and the spell ended abruptly. It could do irreparable damage to Ben. I set the repaired life force within him, and I felt a weight lift off of me. I fell backward off of the bed, and I panted for breath.

Kalin, seeing that I was alright, went immediately to inspect Ben. She glanced back to me, and I could see a glimmer of moisture in the corner of her eyes. She spoke softly in Auroa's native tongue, and she turned fully to look at me.

"Your Majesty?" Kalin asked as she dropped down beside me. "I have never before seen anything so..." Her eyes were full of tears. She cupped my face, and she smiled. "You are truly of The Heavens, Your Majesty. You have helped him. We can only wait for the antidote to battle the poison, now."

I smiled faintly, closing my eyes, and everything went black.

* * *

Reaver rounded the chair where the woman sat. She was still unconscious, and her face was rather swollen. He moved to the corner of the room, and he picked up the pail of ice water that he'd requested. He threw the water in her face, and tossed the bucket to the side when she woke, gasping and shivering. He pulled the cigarette from his lips, flicking the ash, at her.

She pulled back, and she brought her eyes up to see Reaver. A dark smirk crawled across her lips, and she laughed. "I had rather hoped it would be you, handsome. I'm Arianna. Pleased to meet you, Reaver."

"Where is my daughter?" Reaver asked, crossing his arms over his chest, straightening to his full, menacing height. A dark eyebrow curled, and his mercurial eyes narrowed as a sneer spread across his face.

"Oh," Arianna said, a pout forming on her lips. "I hoped we could have a little fun before we got to the weighty bit." She parted her legs suggestively, and arched her back out. She tugged gently on the shackles that bounder her, but the feel of them seemed to thrill her. "Don't you feel like having fun, Reaver? I heard that you _love_ having fun with men and women when they're shackled." She jingled her chains a little bit, her brown eyes smoldering up to him.

The back of his hand collided with her face, and she made a soft noise of pleasure. The very nerve she had to enjoy that. He hit her again, and she laughed, her toes curling. She straightened up, and her mouth was set into a wide, bloodied smile. He tossed his cigarette in her face, and he wrapped his hand around his Dragonstomper. "Where is Amelia?"

"Reaching for your gun, love?" She sighed. "I was hoping that you'd be reaching for something else by now. I'd heard that Reaver had an insatiable lust for cruelty and punishment. Well, here I am, darling." She fluttered her eyelashes at him. "Punish me."

He drew out the pistol, and he whipped her across the face with it. He hadn't done it to hurt her. He'd done it because he wanted her to stop talking.

"Mmm," She chuckled. "If I would have known you were planned on using toys, I would have brought some of my own with me."

Hastily, Reaver brought up his foot to tilt the chair she was shackled to on its back. She squeaked softly when she hit the ground, and winced, as her arms were bound behind her. He walked around, and he put his boot against her throat, applying a great deal of pressure. He hissed angrily, "_Tell me where she is_!"

Arianna sputtered, but she grinned. "Slow down, love. I can't answer your questions if I'm dead."

He pulled his foot back only to kick her sharply in the ribs. A cry of genuine pain spilled from her now, and it brought a smile to his face. He crouched down before her, and he pushed her hair out of her face. "Now, did that one hurt you?"

"I've had worse," She groaned, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"Now, that simply won't do," He said. "If you insist on stretching this whole process out, I suppose I can, too. I wanted to kill you as quickly as possible." He held up his Dragonstomper as an example of the method he referred to, but he stashed it away in its holster. He reached for something else beneath his coat, and he found a blade. He crouched down beside her, and he flicked the knife into the air, catching it accurately by the handle. "But I think I could slow things down a little for you."

He dragged the blade across the exposed flesh of her heaving breasts. She didn't enjoy this pain, for she squired and whined beneath the blade, and he asked again. "Where is Amelia?"

She shut her eyes, and she shook her head. "I won't tell you. I can't betray him."

"_Who?!_" He asked. Sinking the blade into her shoulder. "Who won't you betray!?"

Her eyes widened, and she cried out,"I WON'T!"

He twisted the knife, and he pressed his knee into her broken ribs, inflicting two separate pains at once. "Tell me, or I'll stick this knife somewhere much more unpleasant."

Her teeth gritted together, and her body was tense with pain. "Please!" Tears poured down her face, and she quivered with pain.

"Please stop?" He asked, withdrawing the knife. He looked at the blade, covered in red, thick blood. He wiped the blood away on her shirt, and she winced, as if she feared he would cut her again.

"Please...please don't cut me again," She exhaled.

"Will you tell me who your master is, and what, precisely, he plans to do with my child?" Reaver asked, pulling another cigarette out from his pocket. He nudged her ribs again, his heart jumping at the sound of her gasp of pain. Oh, how he'd missed this.

"The Dark Sanctum," She wept. "That's where she is."

He lit his cigarette, and he inhaled deeply. He had broken her, and now she would tell him whatever he wanted. He smiled, reveling in the fact that he'd won.

"And what are his plans, little songbird?" He asked, tapping her with the blunt end of the blade.

"He wants to b-breed Heroes," She stammered. "He wants to have control over Albion...and that little bitch is the key."

Reaver's hand wrapped around her throat, and he brought the point of the knife so very close to her eye. "You forget yourself, madam. Do not forget who you are talking to, and to whom you are referring. I should hate to have to poke out your eye." He paused for a moment. "Oh, who am I kidding, we both know that I would love that, but it doesn't suit my purposes. I wouldn't be able to extract more information through your wails of pain." He inhaled. "Now, what is your master's name?"

"Seth," She bawled, and she added with a whisper. "I'm sorry, my love."

"And what does he have that might stop The Queen and I from marching into his little party and taking our daughter back?" Reaver questioned, pulling the knife back.

"He is a master of Will," She said eagerly. "He is very powerful, and he can influence lesser people and beings to follow him, using only suggestion."

Reaver cursed. Deep down, he hated most Will-users. Magic was not a skill. It was either powerful or it wasn't, he supposed. He couldn't wait to test the limits of her master's power.

"What are you going to do with me?" She asked softly.

"Does he care about you?" Reaver asked. It was a loaded question.

She gulped, and she shook her head. "No. No he doesn't."

"Then, I suppose keeping you alive would be superfluous," He growled. He wrapped his hand around the knife, and he stuck it in the center of Arianna's throat. Her eyes widened, and she sputtered, and coughed. Her whole body shook and thrashed, and blood spilled from her mouth. After a few moments, her eyes rolled back, and her body fell still. Reaver took his knife, and he, once again, wiped it against her shirt, before sticking it into his pocket. He flicked the butt of his cigarette onto her lifeless body, and he surveyed himself. He could feel the spray of her blood on his face, but he would have time to wash that off soon enough.

He would be getting ready to travel to Mourningwood, soon, whether Lilyana's strength had returned or not. Amelia would not become this man's slave. He exited the room, and he started down the hall way, pulling yet another cigarette from his pocket. Lighting it, he exited the dungeon area, giving a guard a definite nod in the direction of Arianna's cell, silently ordering him to deal with her. Reaver didn't care what was done with her now. He'd gotten what he needed.

**A/N: Okay, so I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I appreciate the reviews! They really keep me going, so don't feel afraid to tell me what you think! **


	12. Intruders

-Chapter Eleven-

I came to, and I found that I was in Reaver's arms. His eyes were full of concern, but when he saw that I was awake, they softened slightly. His face was speckled with blood, and I could only assume that it was that blonde woman's. I felt him press something to my lips, and I taste the honeyed flavor of a potent Will potion. I drank it down readily, and I felt almost revitalized. The strength had returned to my limbs, and I was positive I could hold myself up.

Reaver assisted me in sitting up, and he pulled me against his chest, locking his arms around me and burying his face in the crook of my neck. "I need you ready."

"I need only to get dressed," I said. "He will not have her much longer, Reaver. I promise. I have been waiting a long time for this."

"A long time? Darling, it's been less than a few hours. How could you possibly-?"

"When I discovered that Amelia was missing, Theresa appeared to me," I said, turning to face him.

"What did that flaming harpy want?" Reaver growled. His lip curled into a snarl, and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"It's hard to explain," I said, scooting to climb off of the bed. I pulled the gown off of my body, and I moved toward the wardrobe. Stretching my legs felt very nice. Where I had been, I barely moved. It had almost been unnerving. I glanced back to him, but he wasn't paying me the slightest bit of attention.

His focus was obviously inward, but he said, without looking, "Try to explain. I shall try to decipher what I can." His eyes found mine, and he rose. I thought, for a moment, he was coming to my side, but he, instead stepped toward the water basin. He wiped the blood from his face, also removing the smudging of black around his eyes.

I reached within the wardrobe to find that I had only one good outfit for adventuring within, but it would suffice. I pulled the brown leather leggings down from the wardrobe, and I glanced back to Reaver, who was undressing quickly. "I was in a place that...isn't part of this world," I said.

"Like The Sanctuary," he said with a small nod.

"Yes...sort of," I said. "In this place, time passed differently, I suppose. I felt like I was there for a very long time, but for you, I was gone only a short while."

He paused for a moment, and he glanced back to me. "How did you handle the sheer anxiety? The panic? The frustration?" He walked across to join me at the wardrobe. He tugged out some random clothes, and he slipped them on. I'd never seen him dress with such disregard for how the end product would look, but I understood his urgency.

"I didn't feel any of it," I explained. "It all hit me...as I came back." I pulled on a plain white shirt, and the pair of brown leather leggings, tucking the tails of my shirt into the pants before lacing them. I pulled on a leather cinch that strapped over my shoulders for extra armor. I breathed. Theresa had stressed to me how difficult facing Seth would be, but I had no idea how much further I could prepare myself. I needed to get Amelia back. I couldn't let her spend another hour with that abhorrent man.

"Lilyana," He said, crossing the room. "Will you be prepared?"

I nodded softly, and I turned to face him. "I have to be." A tear rolled down my cheek, but he caught it. He pressed soft, chaste kiss against my mouth, but I did not feel comforted. If anything it reminded me of all I had to lose. It would not feel like a victory if I returned with only one of the people I loved.

He kissed me once more, and he leaned his forehead against mine, exhaling. I slid a hand over his heart, and I felt its rapid, nervous pace. "Come, darling," He said. "Logan has requested that we speak with him to confirm the details."

I exhaled, and I nodded.

* * *

"What are we to do with...any remaining people in The Dark Sanctum?" Logan asked. He had taken over Ben's usual role of liaising with the military. He looked very severe, a look I had not seen on his face in a long while. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Wipe them out," I said, simply.

Even Reaver seemed shocked, for he grabbed my arm.. "You are sure that this is what you want?"

"There is a chance there will be innocents," Logan said. "Sacrifices."

"There is also a chance that we would be manipulated into letting a few of its followers slip through the cracks," I said firmly. "That cannot happen. The place must be wiped clean, and destroyed." I gulped down a building lump in my throat. Being so ruthless did not settle well with me, but it was necessary. My child's life was in danger. I was in no mood for being toyed with by master manipulators.

Logan nodded in agreement. "We must blast the place off of the face of Albion once it is clear." His eyes moved over to Reaver. "Do you have any idea how we could do that?"

Reaver nodded, "It wouldn't be the first time I blew up a temple devoted to something or other." He waved his hand dismissively. "Get in contact with a man called Webber." He grabbed a pen and paper and scrawled an address. "You can reach him here."

Logan nodded. "You are sure that you will be going first? The men are already marching toward Mourningwood, but if you use The Sanctuary, you will arrive far before they will."

"We must, Logan," I said. "Reaver and I can move faster than a group of soldiers. The soldiers will be needed to gather up any people that slip by."

Logan nodded. "I wish I could fight by your side, sister."

"You must stay here," I told him. "You are the only royal blood left." I crossed the room. "If anything were to happen to me...to Amelia..." I closed my eyes, tears building once more. "Julian is the next heir, and you need to protect him."

"Amelia will be fine," Logan assured me. "You will get her back. I have faith in you."

I exhaled. If only faith would assure my daughter's safety. I wiped my face, and I felt Reaver's arm around my waist. I gulped the lump in my throat down, and I glanced back to him. "Darling, let us go. I can get us as close as the old fort in Mourningwood."

"You are sure that you are fully prepared?" Logan asked, glancing over us. Yes, we were covered in weapons, but I was sure he wasn't referring to our ability to fight.

"I will do what I must to get her back," I said, running a hand over my hair, making sure that the bun would be held secure during the fighting. I straightened, and I turned to face Reaver.

"I will kill anyone that stands between us and our daughter. I promise you," He said, his voice full of resolute coldness. "No regrets will ever hold me back."

Logan approached, patting Reaver on the shoulder, as if to tell him to be careful, but no words were said. Their eyes met, and they nodded mutually in silence.

"Good luck, Lily," Logan exhaled, his dark eyes softening ever so slightly as they met with mine. He wrapped an arm around me, and he sighed. "I will be here, waiting for news."

* * *

Seth crossed the room with the baby in his arms. He was growing very frustrated with her constant wailing, but he would have to endure it a while longer. She would eventually grow familiar with him. It would just take time, and of that, he had plenty. He offered her the bottle once more, and she threw her head to the side, still inconsolable.

He handed the child off to one of the waiting women, and he pulled the watch from his pocket. He looked at the hour, and he glanced around. Arianna was no where around. It wouldn't have taken her so long to get back, so he figured she must have either been caught or killed. Perhaps both. He exhaled in annoyance. Arianna had been a very skilled alchemist, and now she was gone.

He turned, suddenly, and his eyes widened. He was faced toward the southern entrance, and he froze. He could feel a massive energy moving toward The Dark Sanctum. The energy belonged to The Queen, that much he knew, but he'd never expected her to be so powerful. He knew that his power far surpassed hers, but he also knew that she was adept in more than just Will-usage.

"Master," said a round, masked man. "They are approaching..."

"I know that you fool," Seth hissed. "Let them come, but The Queen is to be mine, do you hear?"

* * *

The sun was rising, fighting the clouds that covered it, but to no avail. The marshy region was eveloped in a deep, gray haze, and I was reminded vaguely of Wraithmarsh. There was a chill in the air, which was strange for the beginning of summer. A deep sense of foreboding settling into my gut, and I took Reaver's hand in mine. I could feel Seth's darkness from this far away, and it scared me. I looked over to Reaver.

His face was tight and full of a white-hot rage, but he looked thoroughly prepared to slaughter anyone that stood in our way. He had brought two of his prized Dragonstompers, one holstered to his thigh, the other hanging at his hip, and his favorite rifle was strapped to his back. He usually wasn't a fan of using the larger firearms, but we did not know what we were walking into

I couldn't be entirely sure what we were walking into.. Reaver had told me that Arianna had mentioned that Seth looked forward to meeting us in battle. I didn't ask Reaver how he'd extracted the information. I didn't care. She had poisoned my friend and made it possible for my daughter to be taken by a madman.

My stomach was curled into a knot of anxiety. I could only hope that Seth was nowhere near as powerful as Theresa had made him out to be, but if he had been able to shroud himself from her visioin, he had to have some sort of advantage over me.

Reaver still looked stony faced, but worry had crept into his eyes. I squeezed his hand, and his face turned to meet with mine. He offered no smile, but his eyebrows raised, softening his expression. He squeezed my hand back, and he pulled me along.

The sense of dread spread through me as we moved even closer to The Dark Sanctum. I could sense that there were at least fifty people within. My stomach lurched forward, and I exhaled. "There are a lot of his followers within."

"You can simply tell?" He asked.

I nodded. "Fifty, at least."

He cursed, and he released my hand. He drew the pistol from his thigh, and he pulled back the hammer, and he readied himself to go into the small back entrance that we neared.

"Wait!" I hissed. I waved a hand, and a soft glimmer shield covered us. "This should shroud us for a few moments while we make a plan of attack." I led him toward the small door.

* * *

As he entered the room, Logan glanced at Kalin, who sat at Ben's bedside. She held her hands up in prayer, her eyes closed, and her lips moving as a quiet, foreign song spilled into the room. She put her hands on Ben's chest, and she her singing halted. She opened her eyes, and she looked up to Logan.

"Will he survive?" Logan inquired, his hand moving to smooth his hair.

"He must wake," Kalin said. "I will not know if he will be as he once was, but he must wake before I can give a definite answer. The poison may not have killed him, but it may have done other damage. We cannot be sure.'

"Damn," Logan sighed. Kalin had described Lilyana's healing magic, and he'd hoped that Ben would recover faster. He needed as much help with this issue as he could take. He needed to fortify the castle, but he also wanted to send all of the men after his niece. "The poison? Was it one you had encountered before?"

"Yes," Kalin said. "It is made from rare herbs found in Aurora. I have never heard of its use across the sea, though, My Lord."

He blinked, and he turned to glance to the door. He wondered whether Angela and Julian had waken yet. He still had not broken the news of Amelia's disappearance. He'd been too busy to bother her and their child who, for once, was sleeping peacefully. His eyebrows furrowed deeply, and he chewed on the unscarred corner of his lip.

"You are worried about your own family," Kalin said, her wise eyes coming to meet his.

He nodded gently.

Kalin said. "Go to your family. See that they are safe and sound. I will stay with Ben."

"You are sure?" Logan asked.

"It is up to the gods, now," Kalin said, her eyes glancing upward. "If there is any change, I will send for someone, but until then, I will remain at his side."

He turned to leave the room, and Kalin's haunting Auroran song hit his ears once more. He closed the door behind him.

* * *

The child had finally ceased its infernal screeching, and Seth cradled her gently against him. He smirked down to her, and he stroked her ivory cheek. She would be a great beauty when she grew, but it wouldn't have mattered if she were the ugliest thing to set foot in Albion. The power and legacy in her blood was what he was after. He crossed the hallway and entered a large, circular room. A large, black pool lay in the center, and a bridge crossed it, leading into a platform in the middle.

It had become his favorite place for contemplation and peace. It was a baptismal chamber of sorts. Those bathed in the waters after taking their rites were bound with The Dark Sanctum forever. He dreamed of the day when the child in his arms would willingly step into the waters, cementing her place in his circle.

He knelt to the water's edge, and he cradled the sleeping child in one hand while he dipped a bare finger in the water. He rubbed the moisture against her forehead, a little ritual mostly for himself. He would be this child's everything. Her caregiver her teacher, and one day, her partner in The Darkness. She would be raised to be his equal in every way, and she would never know anything of the outside world except that it would, in the future, belong to the two of them.

What a worthy Queen this child would make one day. She would take her rightful throne in Bowerstone Castle when the time came, and then, all of the nations would bend under their power. They would be hers, but he would hold the power. He would always hold the power.

* * *

There were fourteen people in the entrance chamber. Reaver was already formulating a plan in his head, I could tell. I would need to reserve my Will-energy for the inevitable confrontation with Seth. I would have to rely on my pistol and my sword to carry us to him. I looked to my husband, and he reached to cup my face. He pressed a gentle kiss against my lips, and he drew back. He stood to his full, height an he rushed out of my protective shield.

I almost jumped after him, but I stopped myself. Perhaps this was part of his plan. I inched forward, and I saw that people had already noticed his presence.

"Oh my!" Reaver exclaimed, glancing around. "Am I late for the ritual sacrifice _again_?"

"Intruder!" shouted one of the masked people. "It's Reaver"

"Get him!"

"You really should be shouting 'run', but who am I to correct you?" Reaver quipped, drawing his two Dragonstompers with a gesture that was almost difficult for my keen eye to catch. He started firing on the people that closed in on him, dodging thrown potion bottles, fists, and bullets with finesse and speed.

I threw down my shield, and I drew my own pistol, firing off rounds into the stragglers at the edge.

"The Queen!" One of the masked lackeys cried. "Seth doesn't want her hurt! Take her alive!"

"You will do no such thing!" I shouted, my anger bursting forth in a wave of Will. The people were thrown onto their backs, but Reaver's steady stance remained unharmed. "I will walk out of this place with my child, and no one will stop me." My fists burned with blue flames, and I a lobbed a ball of fire into an approaching woman. Shrieking, she rolled onto the ground, trying to put herself out. I tried to rein in my emotion. It would be difficult to control my powers if I couldn't control my feelings.

I felt a pair of arms lock around me, and suddenly, I looked up to see that a trap door had opened beneath my feet, and I was falling quickly to a lower level of the Sanctum. I hit the ground, a few of my bones cracking on impact, and I cried out. I could hear Reaver faintly calling out my name, but it was muted by the blare of gunshots. I glanced around the darkened room, and I saw that it was empty. It was some sort of holding-cell, but the door had been left wide open.

I stood, and I found that the man who had grabbed me had landed rather unpleasantly on his neck beneath me, and I brushed myself off. I cradled the broken bones of my arm, and I decided to wait a moment before moving. Injured, I was vulnerable, but my healing would pick up in a few moments. The smell of the room was dank and unpleasant. No fresh air had touched this place in a very long time.

I exited the room, flexing my healing arm, and I reached to the pouch at my waist. It was in tact, along with my health and Will potions. I exhaled, and that was when I heard it. The faintest whine of Amelia's voice, and I turned, a bit of hope ringing out in my heart. There was nothing I could do for Reaver, now but I would get our daughter.

I followed the sound of Amelia's cries, and I broke out into as fast of a run as I could manage. I drew my sword, and as her voice grew closer, my heart pounded harder. I wasn't sure what he had done to her, if anything, but for every moment he forced her away from me, he would pay a thousand times with pain.

I skidded into a room that was filled with a large black pool, and I saw that a tall, dark-haired man stood on a large platform in the middle. He bounced Amelia in his arm, attempting to soothe her, and his eyes found mine.

"Shhhhh," Seth hushed me. He had a pointed, yet striking face. His eyes lit up with what looked like amusement. "She just woke up, and she's a little cranky."

"Release her now," I said steadily, my voice shaking with fury. My hands grew hot, but I forced the flame back within me.

"Oooh," He chuckled, looking down to Amelia. "Your mummy is very cross indeed, little one."

"Do not poison her with your words, you vile snake," I hissed, marching around the pool, toward the bridge.

"Ah, ah, ah!' He said, pointing a finger at me. "Stay back. I will harm her if I need to." A spark of electricity shot from his finger tip and dissipated in the air. "She will still serve my purpose, as long as she survives whatever I do to her."

My heart froze, and my feet stopped moving. I put my hands down to my sides, and I looked around. My mind worked at ways I could overwhelm him, but as long as he held Amelia, there was no guarantee that I would not also hurt her. I gulped.

"Now," Seth said. "Remove your weapons...slowly."

I unstrapped the belt that my pistol hung on, and I set it down on the ground. I pulled my sword from my back, and it clattered to the ground as I tossed it.

"Into the water," He instructed me, motioning with one hand to the black, icy depths of the pool.

I glanced down to my favorite pistol, and I exhaled as I pushed it and my sword into the water. They sunk, and I couldn't see how far they went down. The water was deep, that was for sure, and my stomach curled at the thought of it.

"Now," Seth said. "To dispatch that horrid husband of yours." He closed his eyes, and I could hear his voice booming across the Sanctum, though his lips did not move.

'_Kill Reaver, and come to me. If you fail to kill him, I am sure he will not fail to kill you.' _

"Now, Your Majesty," Seth said. "I cannot simply allow you to take Amelia from me. She and I were destined for each other, and nothing is going to stop that, but I will give you a chance..."

I looked to him.

"I would have offered that you take her place in my little arrangement, but I can see...you are _useless_, and your blood is not as potent as fair little Ameila's," He said. "The children she and I will produce..."

My fist clenched at my side, and I could feel the sparks of a spell forming at my finger tips. My whole body trembled with the force of my power trying to escape. I moved across the bridge quicker than he could see, using a spell that Theresa had taught me in the other realm.

This took him by surprise, and he set Amelia down in a cradle that appeared from nowhere. "Oh, no, no, no," He said, wagging his finger. He flourished his hand, and he balled it into a fist. "We can't have you simply running up and attacking us."

My limbs ceased to move, and I was falling to the ground. The force of my impact with the floor took the wind from my lungs, and I gasped for air. My muscles were frozen in place. I couldn't move. I was stuck. I was helpless. I stared up to him, and his mouth was turned into a cruel smile.

"Do not worry, fair Queen" He said. "I will not kill you right now. I want to see you suffer, first."


	13. Frozen

-Chapter Twelve-

Reaver's eyes flickered between the trap door where Lilyana had just been dragged and the people that surrounded him. He counted them all, remembering where each stood and which way they faced. He made adjustments for slight movement, and he sighed. "Do you have any idea what a bother it is to strategize for an odd number of people? Couldn't there have been one more or one less of you?"

Another appeared from down the hallway, and Reaver smiled.

"Goodie."

His pistols moved faster than anyone could see, gunshot blaring as each pistol fired one after the other. He dipped and bent, and turned, his arms and body constantly moving. His eyes darted around, checking his aim, and not one of his bullets missed its mark.

The group of people that surrounded him fell one by one, each bleeding from a fatal wound or already dead. He exhaled, and he blew off his pistols, his hands vibrating and tingling from the fire of his guns. The barrels were hot, but he stowed them away anyway, and he saw more people approaching.

He sighed as he thought of more creative ways to finish off this second group. His eyes found a few powder kegs, which for the life of him, he could not rationalize their presence. Did they leave them about because they added to the dark mystique of the place? He shrugged, not caring, and he pulled a cigarette from his pocket, and he lit it quickly, stashing his lighter away quickly.

"Our master has demanded for us to kill you!" said a thin, bird-like woman wearing an appropriately beaked mask.

"You can surely try," He said, inhaling the smoke. "Many have tried...including your little friends strewn about the room." He gestured to the already dead or dying cultists. He smirked. "Now, I do love a bit of a challenge."

Bird Woman continued, "You are the master's enemy! We must-"

"I'm going to shoot you first," Reaver said. "And you're going to help me kill your other friends."

"I would never betray my brethren," She hissed, her hands closing around a saber at her side.

"Do not fret, little bird," he said. "You won't have very long to dwell on the issue."His hand moved quickly to retrieve the gun from his coat, and he shot the bird-woman's knee out, and she stumbled backward screaming into a powder keg. It tipped over, and the powder spilled all over the ground, and spread to two more barrels that had been left just laying around.

He threw his lit cigarette into the powder, and the powder ignited instantly, spreading, and the two remaining powder kegs exploded, taking out at least seven of the goons that had come with the bird-woman.

By his count, there were still five people left in the room, and he dispatched them easily with five quick shots of his gun. He glanced around the area, and he stepped toward the trapdoor that had claimed his wife. He glared down, but he couldn't see very far below. He shrugged, and he hopped down. He landed gracefully on his feet, and he heard Lilyana's voice followed by a man's voice. His whole body bristled, and he drew his other Dragonstomper once more.

* * *

I lay paralyzed on the ground, and Seth strode toward me. He wrapped his long, almost skeletal fingers in my hair, and he dragged me across the bridge and to the platform where Amelia lay in the cradle. I kept myself from crying out as he kicked me in the ribs.

"Did that hurt, Your Majesty?" Seth asked, releasing my hair, and he let his eyes drift over my body. "It's such a shame you can produce no children for me, but I suppose it would be fun to fuck you. Just so I could say I did." He chuckled.

My whole body hummed with anger, and I felt his hand move across my collarbone.

"Such a lovely body," He murmured. "I wonder what sort of awful things I can do to it before you break."

A gunshot rang through the cavernous room, and my heart jumped upward. Reaver had survived the people that Seth had thrown at him, and he had made it down to me. I struggled to break free of the spell, to warn him, but nothing but a strangled cry escaped me.

"Put the gun down, Reaver," Seth said, through gritted teeth. He rose, his hand moving to the bleeding bullet hole in his shoulder. "Or I will make you regret firing upon me"

"You see," Reaver said, obviously angry. He may have missed his mark, but it was far more likely that Seth had used Will to change the course of the bullet. I didn't have the best vantage point from my place on the ground.

I could hear Reaver's footsteps echoing through the room. "I just can't do that. You have two things that are very precious to me, and I am not leaving until I have them."

"Very well," Seth said, raising to his full height. "Then I'll incapacitate you, as I have your wife, and I'll make you watch while I violate-" He raised a hand, stopping Reaver's bullet, and he let it fall to the ground before him. "You see, now I'm just going to have to be that much rougher on her, but you like to watch, don't you, Reaver?"

Reaver was running now, but Seth sent him crumbling to the ground, just as he had done to me. My panicked eyes widened, and I glanced between the two. Seth stepped over my body to grab a hold of Reaver. He dragged him to face me, and Reaver looked absolutely livid. His silver eyes slashed up to Seth. If looks could kill, Seth would have been shredded to pieces.

"Reaver, it will be such a long time before I can have your daughter," Seth said, crouching down behind me. His hand moved up my back. "Perhaps I can take out my lust on your beautiful, but barren wife" His mouth dipped to touch against my shoulder, and I wished with every fiber of my being that I could move, but I couldn't.

Reaver's eyes narrowed, but he couldn't move. He couldn't speak. He was furious. It was clear in his wrathful silver eyes, but he was helpless to do anything but watch.

Seth turned me onto my back, forcing me to look up to him as he ran a finger under my chin. "Don't panic. I won't hurt you until I've finished with you." But then a glint of laughter filled his devious violet eyes. "Oh, I'm lying. I want to hurt you as much as I possibly can."

The ball of rage within me exploded outward, and suddenly I was free. White light surrounded me, and I rose to my feet. Seth stumbled backward, his eyes squinting through the radiance of my aura, but he only smirked. He threw a hand out, and I looked back to see that he had lifted Reaver to his feet.

I moved to run toward him, but Seth pushed him over the edge of the platform. He fell into the deep black water, sinking quickly, and I felt my whole body jerked back, pulled by magic. I whipped around, lightning crackling off of my fingers, and I threw a ball of it at him.

He absorbed it, and he brought the back of his hand to strike across my jaw. I shook it off, for his physical strength paled in comparison to his Will abilities. Flames exploded off of him, and I threw a quick shield over Amelia before anything could affect her. I sent my knee into his gut, and when he bent forward in pain, I brought the same knee into his face. He crumbled to the ground, his bloodied lips set into a scowl.

His hand wrapped around my ankle, and I felt him drawing off of my life-force, feeding his own. I fell to my knees, as the weakness settled into my muscles, and I trembled gently. He released me, and he rose back to his full height. "You cannot win. I can simply drain your life."

My energy returned quickly to me, and I glanced up to him. "I'm immortal. There's no death for me here." I sent a powerful punch into his sternum, and he gasped for air, but he was gathering his Will already.

I felt my life draining away from me once more, and he was healing. I pushed him away with a grunt, and I saw a fallen Dragonstomper on the ground. I reached a hand out, and the thing flew straight into it.

Seth intercepted the gun, and he knocked it to the side, sending it clattering to the ground. He grasped me around my wrist with a flaming hand, and he grinned as he sent a wave of electricity through my body.

My body trembling from the shock, I sent my head into his nose, and he shrieked as he stumbled backward, covering his face. "You bitch!" He growled, and I could feel the Will peeling off of him in droves. He was readying a powerful spell.

When it struck me, a scream tore from my throat as my whole body was rocked by the powerful jolt of burning magic. I dropped back down to my hands and knees, and I looked up to him. I felt the wind knock out of me, and my flesh burned and stung. I smelled the unsavory smell of my burnt skin I reached for the pack at my waist as stealthily as I could, and I wrapped my hand around a potion. I tried to raise it to my lips, but his foot crushed my hand, the bottle breaking in my fist.

I exhaled with relief, for the health potion sunk into my body through the wounds the bottle created, and I sprang to my feet, newly invigorated. He was running low on his Will, now, having spent the majority of it on that last, near-lethal spell. He looked ragged, his eyes were tired, and I knew I had only one opportunity before he pulled some trick to restore his Will.

I smirked, and I closed my eyes, focusing my innermost strength . I summoned divine light from the Heavens to assist me. Something I had never yet perfected, but I could feel the goodness and light passing through my body, and I opened my eyes. Everything was engulfed in white light.

Seth's howls of pain echoed through the room, and he shot every spell he could think of at me, but nothing damaged me. I was shielded by the light that I channeled through me. He fell to his knees before me, and I moved quickly to grab him.

He was weakened, and now was my chance. "You will never touch my daughter, you bastard!" I sat on his chest, and I wrapped my fingers around his throat.

He sent shockwaves of electricity through me, but I did not release my grip. I merely sent them right back through him. His eyes bugged, and he struggled to focus. His power was waning. I tightened my trip around his throat, and I could feel the bones of his neck crushing beneath my grip, but he wasn't dead yet. The bastard was still squirming and crying beneath me.

"I'll bet you didn't expect this," I said through gritted teeth as I choked the life out of him. "I'll bet you thought you would beat me."

He croaked loudly, still fighting against me. His Will was depleted, and his eyes pleaded with me to have mercy.

"I faced The Darkness that you serve head on, and I defeated it," I told him, staring straight into his terrified plum-colored eyes. "Why should one of its pitiful followers fare any better against me?" I lost patience with his life, and I twisted his neck quickly, and he fell limp beneath me. The rush of relief and satisfaction washed over me, and I took my fingers from around his pale, skinny neck, and I rose to my feet. My legs felt like rubber, and I fell back to the ground.

I dragged myself to the edge of the platform, and I looked into the black depths. I drew in a breath. I still hated water, even after supposedly facing my fears in another realm, the thought of descending those churning dark waters brought a chill to my body. I pulled myself back to a standing position. I glanced back to Amelia, who was crying, and I apologized silently. I had to leave her for a moment to go after her father. I threw the strongest shield I could muster over her, and I threw myself over the side of the pedestal.

The water was freezing, and I took in a deep breath before pushing myself beneath the surface. I moved quickly through the dark water, using a spell to propel me forward every once in a while. Pure terror gripped me. I felt like screaming and crying. I had never been a strong swimmer, but this was important. I couldn't lose him. Not now that I had defeated Seth. Not now that our family was momentarily safe. I squinted to try to see through the dark, still waters, and but it was useless. The bottom seemed unreachable, and I put a hand out before me, summoning light.

I could see a glint of metal in the corner of my eye, and I turned toward it. Reaver's Dragonstomper hanging at his waist caught the light and summoned me to him, like a beacon of his salvation. I swam quickly, for my unpracticed breath was running short. His limbs had fallen loose from Seth's spell, but his eyes were closed, and he did not move. Panic set in me, and I wrapped my arms around him. I pushed us forward using the last of my Will, and we broke the water's surface. I gasped for air, but Reaver did not. He was silent, still.

I moved toward the edge, and I threw him over onto his back. I pushed up out of the water, climbing over the edge and I looked over him. His lips were slack and pale, and his dark lashes fell against ashen cheeks. "Oh, love, please don't leave me, now..." I pounded on his chest.

"You can't just drown..." Tears burst from my eyes, and I shook him. "Please...not now. Not like this..." I pressed a kiss against his mouth, as if, by magic, it would bring him back, but his skin was cool and pale.

I pressed down on his chest once more, and I glanced up to his still face. If I could just get him breathing... I stroked his cheek, and I closed my eyes, moving to blow air into his mouth. I drew back, looking hopefully to his face. There was no change. The sobbing took over me, and I couldn't form words. I tried to gather myself, moving my hands back down to his chest, trying to push the water from within him.

"Please, Reaver. Come back to me...I can't..." I tried to grasp at his life force, but my Will was depleted and my physical strength was not far behind. I reached into my pouch for a will potion, and I uncorked it. A trembling hand poured the potion into my mouth, and I felt almost revitalized. I could feel the faint aura of his life, but there was not enough to grasp onto. I pressed down onto his chest once more out of frustration, crying out loudly.

Suddenly, water spewed from his mouth, and he was coughing, and gasping for air. Throwing the bottle to the side, I pulled him to sit up, and I drew him against me. I buried my face in his neck, and I patted his back, trying to help him expel the rest of the water. His life-force thrived once more, growing stronger and stronger with each passing second.

He caught his breath, his arm tightening around me, and he groaned. He was trembling from the cold, but I couldn't offer much more warmth. He held onto me regardless, as if he were trying to comfort me, when he was the one who had nearly died.

"Now I can understand why you're so bloody scared of the water," His voice was little more than a croak. He kissed the side of my face. "For a moment, I thought you may not come in after me."

"You fool," I cried, shaking my head. "I've faced worse than some silly water." I seized his face, and I pressed a desperate kiss against his cool lips. His hands rubbed my back gently.

He pulled from the kiss, and he whispered, "Where is Amelia?"

I rose to my feet, and I pulled him to his, and I saw that my shield had remained intact around Amelia. We made our way as quickly as possible toward her, and I reached in to grab her. She was unharmed, but tears streaked her beautiful, precious face.

I pulled her against me, and tears of relief washed over my face, and I felt Reaver's arm wrap around my waist. He leaned in to kiss her head, and he looked over to me. Our eyes met, and twin smiles of pure relief were set on our faces. The color had already started to return to him, and I felt the weight of anxiety lift off of my shoulders. I pulled him to lean against me, and he stroked Amelia's ebony hair.

In the distance, I heard a bugle. The army had arrived to finish clearing out The Dark Sanctum. Any survivors would be executed on sight. The judgment was harsh, but I was in no mood to weed through people, trying to decide who was truly repentant or remorseful. I was exhausted, and I wanted nothing more than to return home, and hold my daughter until one or both of us fell asleep.

I exhaled, "Come darling. I need a moment to gather my energy. Let's meet the soldiers, to let them know that we are safe."

Reaver nodded, and he pressed another kiss against the top of Amelia's head. We walked through the winding caverns. Silence had formed between us, but I couldn't keep my mind away from the dark. I had nearly lost everything today. If not for Theresa, I might have. I had been so angry with her for her vague predictions, but she had put me on the path to save my family. I was so very grateful for that.

Reaver, who had regained his strength, motioned for me to hand Amelia over, and I did. He cradled her so gently, his eyes filled with pure contentment. He stroked her face lovingly, his mouth turning up into a soft smile.

Nearly two dozen bodies littered the area. Reaver glanced about the destruction he had caused nearly single-handedly, and he smirked softly, in a much better humor now.

"Your Majesty, Your Grace!" a soldier said when he saw us. He threw himself into a bow, and he signaled toward his men. They bowed, also. "You are alright?"

I nodded. I was weary and tired, but I was alright. Now that Amelia was with me, I would be just fine.

"We have orders to bring this place down," The soldier said. "Is there anything worth salvaging, Your Majesty?"

I shook my head. "Destroy it all."

"Yes, Your Majesty," He said, giving me a salute, and walking off to talk to his men once more.

**A/N: So I hope you liked this one! I put a lot of work and thought into it, so let me know what you think! Leave a review!**


	14. Home

-Chapter 13-

I shucked off my wet clothes, and I watched as Reaver sat in the wingback chair, already dressed in dry, warm clothes, and holding tightly to Amelia. She loved his attention, as always, and she giggled endlessly at his touches and tickles. It was as if the day hadn't even affected her, and I was thankful for that. The events that had come to pass were something I never wanted to encounter again.

I sighed. Amelia was safe, but Ben's life still hung in the balance. Kalin had promised to keep us updated, but even with my healing magic, his condition was critical. If he didn't wake, Kalin wasn't sure if his life truly had been saved. I wished I could have done more for him.

I exhaled, and I slid my dressing gown over my head. I still needed to bathe, but for now, I would spend time with Reaver and Amelia. I had almost lost both of them in the span of twenty-four hours. I couldn't see myself doing anything else with the day besides dropping in to check on Ben. I desperately needed to sleep, but that would have to wait.

I dropped down onto the bed, and Reaver was up to join me with Amelia in tow. He lay her between us, and he leaned over to kiss my lips briefly. Amelia reached out toward me, and I lifted her to lay across my chest. Her little eyes inspected my chest, and Reaver laughed.

"I think she is trying to tell you that she is hungry," Reaver informed me, pushing some hair out of my face. "It has been a great while since she's had a proper meal, I am sure."

I didn't even want to think of what she may or may not have been fed while she was in The Dark Sanctum. I obliged Amelia, and she suckled happily away as I looked up to Reaver. I offered him a soft smile, but I sighed, "I almost lost you today."

"Ah, but you didn't," He said. "And I am not sure if I would have truly died. Once I got air in my lungs, I was fine."

"But for a few horrible moments..."

"Darling, I know how you feel," He reminded me, closing his eyes and leaning closer to kiss my temple. He drew away, and I found that his eyes were fixed on mine. "You look so very tired, love."

I sighed, and I nodded. "I can wait to sleep." I looked down to her. "I-I can't bring myself to put her down."

"Then I will hold her, and you can sleep," Reaver said, and he stroked my hair. "I promise nothing will happen to her while she is in my arms." He chuckled softly.

After Amelia had her fill, she was sleepy, and she reached immediately for Reaver, who took her and climbed out of bed. He cradled her gently against him, and he smiled warmly. "Now, what story shall it be tonight, hmmm, my love?"

She of course, did not answer, but she looked up to him, a sleepy smile spreading across her lips. She grabbed a hold of Reaver's finger as he traced her lips, and she clutched it, closing her eyes softly.

"How about the story of how I saved your mother from a group of bandits?"

I cocked a brow, the subject of the story piquing my interest. I rolled over onto my side, sneaking a better peak at the pair. His eyes, found mine, but he returned his attention to Amelia. "You aren't going to tell her the _whole_ story, are you?" The end of that little scuffle was probably a tad too mature for a bedtime story for our daughter.

"Oh, Lilyana, what do you take me for?" He said, rolling his eyes, but then his sour face melted away and turned into a grin. "Though, I would not mind rehashing the details with you some time very soon."

"I am going to sleep now, and when I wake, I hope to find our daughter wholly uncorrupted," I said playfully.

"Oh?" Reaver asked. "Then, go to sleep, dear. Hopefully our daughter is not smoking cigarettes and sipping at whiskey when you wake."

I laughed a little before yawning and closing my eyes.

* * *

There was a swift, yet quiet knock at the door, and I sat up sharply. I glanced over, and I saw that Reaver and Amelia had joined me in bed, though Amelia slept curled against her father. Reaver's eyes cracked open, and I assured him that I would go to the door. I grabbed my robe quickly from its place, and I shrugged it on. Wrapping it around myself, I padded toward the door, and I pulled it open.

Kalin stood, her face worn and tired, but looking hopeful. "Ben is awake, but still not quite recovered. He is fevered, but he asks only for you."

I glanced back to Reaver, and he said, "Go, darling. We will be here when you return."

I hesitantly nodded, and I moved to find my slippers, and I combed my fingers through my hair. I wanted to look somewhat regal in front of whatever guards were down the hall, despite the hour. I moved with Kalin toward the room where Ben stayed.

"I will give you privacy, Your Majesty," Kalin said, nodding to me, and she closed the door behind me as I entered.

I moved to the chair that sat at Ben's bedside. His eyes found me, and he exhaled, looking away quickly. "Lily..." He exhaled, and he closed his eyes. "You came."

I took a seat beside him, and I tilted my head to the side. "Why wouldn't I come, Ben?"

"This is all my fault," He said. "I'm responsible for what happened."

"From what Kalin had told me, you had been poisoned over a long period of time," I told him. "You weren't sick. You were dying, and you were not at your best. You were being manipulated." I put my hand over his. "None of this is your fault."

"I let her into the bleedin' castle," He grunted, gulping softly. "If not for me..."

"She would have found another way if not through you," I said. "You nearly died yesterday." I stroked his face gently, and he brought a hand up to cover mine.

"You're too forgiving, Lilyana," He said. "You could at least hit me once or twice. It might make me feel better." He laughed weakly.

"If you want to be hit, I am sure Reaver is still dying to get some of his frustration out," I told him with a warm smile. "But I doubt he'd find any fun in it. You are basically an invalid."

He shrugged. "Nah. I've never known Reaver to turn down the opportunity for random acts of violence."

I sighed. "We almost lost you. I don't think I could handle losing another friend."

"It was my fault, though, Lilyana," He said. "I put Amelia in danger."

"Then you just won't bring any more women to the castle," I chuckled. I pushed some of the moist hair away from his face.

"I think I'm off women...for a while at least," He said with a small cough.

"You should rest." I smiled, and I leaned down to kiss him on the forehead.

"Well, if you keep kissing me, Lily, I may not take a break from women, after all," He said with one of his signature lop-sided grins. "I may just make a full recovery and-"  
"And my husband would most likely object," I said, smoothing the blanket down on top of him. "Go back to sleep. You're mad with fever."

"Yeah," He said, chuckling softly. "That's it. It's the fever."

I stood, and I moved toward the door. Glancing back over my shoulder, I said, "She would have found a way into the castle no matter what, Ben. It isn't your fault."

"It is," he said. "But thanks for trying to make me feel better about it."

"I will be back to see you tomorrow, Ben," I assured him.

He closed his eyes, nodding softly.

I opened the door quietly, and I slipped through. Kalin nodded silently, and she reentered the room. She closed the door silently behind her, and I walked down the hallway. The guards straightened their backs, and saluted as I passed, and I merely nodded. The hallway was very quiet, even Julian's usual cries were silenced. It was a restful silence, though. I found myself wishing for a little more noise, hoping that someone else was just as restless as I felt.

I entered my bedroom, and I saw that the bed was empty, for a moment, I panicked, but I heard Reaver's voice coming softly from Amelia's adjoining room. I exhaled, and I slipped my robe off, letting it stay where it fell onto the floor. I spread out across the bed, pulling the sheets and blankets over me. I was still exhausted, and sleep found me easily once again.

* * *

I woke, my heart pounding in my throat, and fighting for breath. I was sitting straight up in bed, and I felt Reaver's hand on the small of my back. I had been dreaming of the most dreadful things, and most of them involved the events in The Dark Sanctum. I wiped a dew of sweat from my brow, and I exhaled shakily.

"It was just a dream, darling," Reaver whispered, sitting up and pulling me against his chest. "I will not leave you." He brushed a stray tear from my face, and he placed a kiss against my shoulder.

My eyes slashed back to him. Had I been talking in my sleep, or did he just know what troubled me so easily? It didn't matter. I leaned against him, and his arms locked around me, bringing the most warming comfort imaginable. I stared out the window. The night seemed to be endless, or perhaps I just hadn't slept for very long. I rubbed my eyes, trying not to let anymore tears pass.

"It was one of the scariest moments of my life," I said, my voice cracking gently. "Amelia was safe, but you...I wasn't sure if you..." I closed my eyes, shaking my head. "I can't lose you, Reaver. Not to another person, not to death...not to anything."

"You will not lose me," He assured me, grabbing my hand and stroking the top gently. "I am yours for as long as you will have me." He unlooped an arm from around me to massage my shoulder tenderly as he feathered kisses up my neck. His touch stoked a desire that had been restrained for the past day. He released me to set me back among the pillows, and he offered me a smile.

I grasped his chin, hauling his lips down to mine. He leaned down further as our lips met, a bit of laughter rising in his chest. His hand found its way to the hem of my nightgown, pushing it up my leg, his fingers teasing and caressing all along the way to my waist. Our kiss ended, but his mouth didn't stop. He moved to tug at the lobe of my ear with his teeth and whisper, "I want you to forget all about what happened...if only for a little while." He brought his fingers to stroke me between my thighs, and he added, "You deserve a little release, my love."

I closed my eyes, reveling in the feel of his fingers. It had felt like ages since he'd touched me. I still found it hard to believe barely a day had passed since Amelia had been taken from us. I arched my hips into his hand, and he took that as a full invitation to continue. He withdrew only to strip me of my dressing gown, and he pressed himself between my legs, his undergarments the only thing separating us, now. Soon enough, I was shoving his clothing off of his hips, and our bodies joined hastily.

His body moved almost desperately against me, as if he was also trying to erase the memories of the day from his mind, as well. He buried himself within me over and over, each movement more frenzied than the last, and I accepted him with equal enthusiasm. My mouth scraped his shoulder, and my fingers curled into his hair, tugging his face over toward mine. In return, he kissed me hungrily.

We reached our completion much faster than either of us had anticipated, but as we lay spent against each other, neither of us could do much else but smile. I kissed his chest softly, and I lay my ear against it to listen to the pounding of his heart. His fingers lazily traced a trail up and down my spine, sending a tingling sensation all the way to my toes.

I yawned, suddenly not worried about nightmares if I fell back asleep. I closed my eyes for a moment, but opened them once more.

"I am sure that if you wish to sleep until noon, no one will harbor any resentment," Reaver said softly.

"There is a lot to do," I sighed.

"Then, sleep, and when you wake, we will take it on," He said, pressing a soft kiss against the top of my head.

* * *

Angela seemed very upset with Logan the next day, and my brother seemed to be accepting his punishment for keeping her in the dark about the things that had been happening around the castle. I, for one, did not blame her at all. She ignored Logan in favor of spending her time fussing over Julian, whose mood and temperament had improved greatly since we had brought back that medicinal mixture from Aurora. Logan took a seat next to his wife, and she gave him a quick glance before looking back at Julian to wipe away a bit of dribble from his face.

I was sitting at my desk, pouring over the numerous reports from the guards that had been on duty the night of Amelia's abduction, double—triple-checking that Arianna had been the only intruder. The Dark Sanctum had been demolished professionally by an acquaintance of Reaver's, and the artifact found on the deceased nurse's body had been taken far away from the castle to be studied by scholars at Brightwall Academy. I had suggested that the thing be destroyed, but the scholars assured me that it was not dangerous as long as the person who controlled it was gone.

"You've no need to work so hard today," Logan said, standing once more to cross the room toward me. He put his hands into the pockets of his trousers, and his lips formed a tight line.

"I'm doing this for my own peace of mind," I told him, raising my eyes up to him. I needed to be sure that I would never have to endure that sort of turmoil again. I gathered up the papers, aligning them into a neat stack before raising to my feet. "It would make me feel better to know that all of the loose ends are tied up."

"I suppose I can understand," Logan said. "I have only the faintest idea of what you went through when Amelia was missing."

"But she is home," Angela put in, climbing to her feet. She crossed over to Logan, handing their son to him. "And she will be safe."

"I know," I said with a nod. "I just cannot let anything like this happen again. Ben nearly died, Amelia was nearly lost forever...It was a lot all at once."

"How is Ben?" Angela asked, raising her eyebrows.

"He's fine," I assured her. "He's still resting, but Kalin says that he should be fully recovered by the week's end."

"That's wonderful news," Angela said happily with a sigh of relief. "He's a good man."

"A very good man," I confirmed. "He didn't deserve all of this."

"Oh, stop talking about me," said a voice from the doorway. Ben stood there, wearing a robe and still looking very ill. His face was still pale and drawn, but his eyes were bright and full of good humor.

"What are you doing out of bed?" I asked.

"Got bored," He exhaled, plopping down into a chair. "Snuck off while Kalin was fetching me some supper. Broth...again." He rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out in distaste.

I gave him the dirtiest look I could muster. "You should be taking better care of yourself, Ben. You almost died."

"But I didn't," He said with a grin and a wink. "Where's Amelia? I haven't seen her since..."

"She is here," Reaver announced, entering the room with Amelia in tow. She was wearing the frilliest dress I had ever seen. She was nearly drowned by the fabric, but in all honesty, she was adorable. "As am I. I'm so glad to see that you are concerned with my whereabouts, Ben." He smirked.

"I didn't think Lily would be letting her out of her sight any time soon," Ben chuckled. "You're a big boy. You can take care of yourself."

"Except for all of the times where Lilyana is forced to go to his rescue," Logan put out. "I think I remember that she said something about having to dive in-"

"Bloody Will-users," Reaver sneered. "But yes. I suppose Lilyana did rescue me, and I am very grateful, though I believe I've given her plenty of thanks in private."

Logan's mouth tightened, and he patted Julian gently on the back as he moved across the room, deciding not to say anything in response.

"Well," Ben said. "I guess this is the part where we celebrate that all of us came out alive with whiskey and ..solid food."

"This is the part where you go back to bed," I corrected him. "And eat broth until Kalin says you can have something else."

"Maybe just a nip of whiskey?" He asked.

I scowled.

"Alright, alright," He sighed, pushing himself to his feet. His legs shook softly, and Reaver moved to offer his free arm to support him.

"Help him back to bed," I said, taking Amelia into my arms. I gave her a soft kiss on the head, and I glanced back over to Ben. "The world will still be here when you've recovered."

"Are you sure about that? Our little group does tend to gravitate toward disaster," Ben chuckled as Reaver led him toward the door.

"I'm sure," I said, smirking.

* * *

The rest of the day had been rather uneventful, and I was glad for it. I was rather done with excitement for the time being. I needed at least a year without one catastrophe or another popping up. Reaver shared the same sentiment, I was sure.

I glanced over to my husband, and I offered him a soft smile. He was dressing for bed, and I couldn't help but stop to admire the taut sinew of his back as he moved to unbutton his trousers. I snuck up behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist, and I pressed a kiss between the blades of his shoulders. I felt his hands on top of mine, and I sighed. "I want you to know that I love you."

"I do know that," He said, turning to face me. He cupped my face tenderly, and he pressed a gentle kiss against my lips. "And I love you."

"Let's go to bed, darling," I sighed.

"Go to bed?" He asked. "Or _go to bed_?"

I raised a brow at him. "Whichever you prefer. I believe I still owe you something especially naughty from the night of the balverine fight."

"Oh, that you do," He said, his voice taking on a more sultry tone. He pushed me gently toward the bed, and he caught my lips with his.

**A/N: I'd like to thank everyone that's read the entire series so far! I'm really appreciative of your input and your kind words! I'm taking a wee little break from Lilyana's story to focus on something else for a while. So while this story is on hiatus, I will be working on my story called Outside The Lines. Please take a look at it because I think it's going to be interesting and exciting. Follow/Favorite me and you can see what else I'm up to!**


	15. Epilogue

-Epilogue-

The garden behind Bowerstone Castle was in full bloom. Every flower was open and reaching for the warm rays of the sun, every color vivid and almost startling. A warm breeze swept through, bringing a rich floral scent to my nose. I inhaled deeply, and I took my eyes from the pages of the book I had been reading, closing it softly. I picked up the untouched apple from my lap, and I took a satisfying bite of the sweet, juicy flesh.

"Help me, Your Majesty!" Ben panted, skidding to halt before me. His eyes were wide, and they slashed backward. "I'm being chased by a mad little hobbe!" He pushed a hand through his hair, moving it away from his face.

"A _hobbe_?" I asked, raising my eyebrows as I glanced around.

Amelia's long black curls bounced as she hurried up to chase him. Her striking blue eyes narrowed, and her rosy lips pursed as she stomped her foot. "I'm _not_ a hobbe, Ben! I'm a pirate!"

"You were a hobbe three minutes ago!" Ben argued vehemently, crossing his arms over his chest. "What changed?"

"Well, I am a _pirate_ now!" She huffed, tilting her chin upward and looking very much like her father. She held up a toy sword and a pistol to match. "Father came home, and he brought me _these!"_

"The Dread Pirate Mia!" Ben exclaimed, clasping his hands over the sides of his face and tearing off running again. Reaver hated to hear Ben's nickname for our daughter, but I thought it was sweet. Amelia tore off after Ben, cackling like a mad little gnome as she swung her wooden sword and feigned gunshot.

I looked up to see Reaver descending the stairs, his youthful face graced by a smile as he watched Amelia brandish the gifts he'd brought. His hands were shoved casually into his pockets, but his posture was straight and proud as he surveyed her. I rose, setting my book down on the bench where I sat. He had been gone for weeks, picking this year's tributes, and my stomach fluttered as he turned his gaze on me. Nine years we had been together, and he was still able to melt me with his eyes alone. His smile changed into a more seductive grin as he held out a hand to me.

I joined him at his side ascending the few steps and pushing up onto the tips of my toes to kiss his lips tenderly. I sighed gently, "I missed you."

"I am sure," He replied, taking the apple from my hand and taking a bite. He encircled his arm around me, drawing me close.

"You missed me, too," I said, trailing my fingers down the front of the ruby-colored tie that was tucked into a matching vest. I shot my eyes up to him.

"And what makes you say that?" He questioned in return, his crystal blue eyes lighting up with curiosity. He held the apple to my lips, and I bit off a small piece.

Once I swallowed, I offered him a broad grin. "Because you were not due back for another week and a half."

"Ah, well," He sighed. "I knew that if I did not make it home by today, I would have to hear it for the rest of the year."

I furrowed my brow playfully asking, "What's today, dear? I don't remember."

"Hmmm..." he sighed, bringing a hand up to rub his chin. "I seem to remember something important. Something about the Abbey...there was a great deal of wine...and I seem to remember something exciting happening in the throne room." He heaved a great, dramatic sigh and shook his head, as if the answer had completely escaped him.

I pulled his face down to mine, and I whispered, "If you are lucky, I might be able to arrange a reenactment of the excitement in the throne room."

"I have always considered myself a very lucky man," He said, closing the distance between our mouths.

"Oh _yuck_," said a small boy's voice as its owner swept down the stairs past us. "Auntie and Uncle are _kissing_."

I drew from Reaver's mouth to see that Julian, along with his younger brother Phillip, and their even younger sister Rose had scampered out of the castle to join Amelia in chasing Ben, who was starting to look slightly winded.

"That boy is too much like his father," Reaver noted, his eyes following Julian, who was, indeed, a spitting image of my brother at that age, though he was a tiny bit more lighthearted than Logan had been.

I laughed, and Reaver put the apple to his lips once more, taking a bite, before throwing it sharply into the air. Without even looking, I drew Reaver's Dragonstomper from his holster and picked it out of the sky, a squeal of delight spilling from the children.

"That was a very nice shot, my love," Reaver remarked, cupping my face as I stowed his pistol away beneath his coat once more.

"Of course it was," I laughed. "I learned from you."

"They've got me!" Ben cried out from beneath a pile of children not twenty yards away. The display of skill hadn't held their attention for very long. Amelia stood with her foot squarely planted between his shoulder blades, as the other children held his arms and legs down. "Have mercy!"

"How does it feel to have been bested by two seven year olds, a five year old and a four year old?" I asked, raising a brow to him.

"That's twenty-three years, all together," Ben huffed just before Amelia whacked him upside the head with her sword. "Bloody h—Ow!"

"Captain Amelia has taken her prisoner!" Amelia proclaimed, waving her sword over her head. "You'll walk the plank, Ben Finn! Then, you'll get eaten by the sharks!' She pointed in the direction of Julian, Rose, and Phillip.

"But I don't want to be a shark!" Rose protested, her green eyes wide and pleading. "I want to be a mermaid!"

"Mermaids don't eat people, Rose," Julian said with a roll of his eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"But-"

"You can be a mermaid," Amelia said, putting her hands on her hips. "But you have to be a very ferocious mermaid!" The Princess's word was final, and Julian said nothing.

Rose nodded enthusiastically.

"A little help?" Ben asked Reaver and me.

"Hold on!" I yelled, nudging my husband in the ribs. "Here comes the Pirate King to pass judgment!" I motioned to Reaver grandly.

"Oh, bollocks," Ben groaned. "I'm shark bait for sure."

"Quiet, scallywag!" Amelia wailed, walloping him once more, this time with the butt of her pistol. If Julian was like Logan, Amelia was twice as much like Reaver. Her sapphire eyes were triumphant as Ben collapsed forward with a huff of breath.

Reaver swept his hat off of his head, and he passed it off to me with a wink as he ceremoniously descended the remaining steps. The children straightened, though they did not climb off of Ben. Their eyes were full of sparkling excitement. They didn't truly know that they faced the real Pirate King of the stories I told, but they eagerly regarded him as such because he played the part so well.

"Now," Reaver said, his eyes flicking down to Ben. "What shall we do with this man?" He circled the children and their captive. "Shall we set him free?"

"Boo!" I yelled, giving a clear thumbs down, and the children joined in, booing and jeering.

"Thanks a lot, Lily," Ben lamented.

"Or!" Reaver exclaimed, holding a hand up in the air, silencing us all. "Shall we make him walk the plank to be eaten by sharks and a ferocious mermaid?"

"The plank!' Philip exclaimed, pumping a little fist in the air.

"The plank!" The other children joined in the chant.

"My, my, Benjamin," Reaver sighed. "It seems the people have spoken."

"Get up, Ben! You get to walk the plank!" Amelia exclaimed, hardly able to contain her excitement.

"Bloody marvelous," Ben grumbled as the children piled off of him and led him toward the far edge of the garden, where there was a suitable "plank" for him to walk—a little ledge that dropped from one level of the garden to the next.

Reaver rejoined me at my side, and he took my hand in his, bringing it to his mouth and kissing my knuckles tenderly. "Now, my Queen, what say you?"

"I say that I love you," I said, glancing up to him. "Even if you are a ruthless King of Pirates with no mercy."

"I seem to remember that you were the first to shoot down the idea of giving Ben his freedom," Reaver said.

The children squealed with joy as Ben jumped off of the ledge, rolling to the ground and allowing the two sharks and one mermaid to jump all over him in a frenzied, pretend blood-lust. Amelia merely clapped, jumping off of the plank herself to add to the carnage by whacking her guardian with her sword and making the sounds of gunfire as she waggled her pistol at him.

"It is too late now," I sighed with a soft shrug. "It is done." I popped his hat back on top of his head.

"Well, then, shall we retire? I daresay Ben has a hold of things..."

Now, Ben was chasing after the children, shouting, "I'm a WICKED TROLL! RAAAAAAAAH!" They zigged an zagged around the garden, in rapture of the fun and activity.

"Hmmm," I hummed with a nod. "I think we could slip away, and I could give you your anniversary present."

"And that would be?"

"The same thing I gave you on our wedding night," I said, pinching his rear gently.

"_Again_?" He feigned disappointment. "You give me that _every_ year."

"Much more often than that," I told him. "And I have never heard you complain until now."

"You called my bluff, Lilyana," He said, leading me up the stairs. "You always do."

** A/N: I want to thank everyone who followed the series since Unbound. I really appreciate your support and reviews! I am taking a little break from Reaver and Lilyana's story, but hopefully, one day, I can continue with it, because it is really quite open. I will be working on another story (If you go to my profile, it's called Outside The Lines. It's from a different Princess's point of view, but I'm having fun writing it.), so follow/favorite me! **


End file.
